# Rail Worker and Community Safety Act Summary
This bill establishes comprehensive new safety requirements for freight rail operations and railroad workers. The legislation requires freight trains carrying hazardous materials to operate with minimum two-person crews (a conductor and locomotive engineer), with limited exceptions for small carriers and non-hazardous operations. It prohibits railroads from operating trains carrying high-level radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel, toxic materials, or large quantities of flammable liquids with fewer than two crew members.
The bill mandates numerous safety upgrades including stricter track inspection schedules, installation of wayside detection technologies to identify mechanical failures, improved train approach warning systems, and certification requirements for signal workers, train dispatchers, and equipment inspectors. It requires the Department of Transportation to establish new safety regulations for hazardous materials transport within one to two years, covering train length, weight, consist, speed restrictions, and emergency response plans.
The legislation also increases federal railroad safety inspector staffing, requiring at least 425 inspectors with specialized expertise in hazardous materials, track, motive power, signals, operations, and grade crossings. It authorizes $12 million annually through 2028 for hiring new inspectors and $10.5 million annually for raising inspector pay to at least GS-13 level. Additionally, the bill provides new worker protections including mandatory paid sick leave for railroad employees at one hour per thirty hours worked and strengthens employee safety reporting rights by allowing collective refusals to work under hazardous conditions.
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