Railroads Ready to Fight Reflector Rule

U.S. railroads are girding themselves for a fight over a possible mandate that they install reflective markings on more than 1.7 million rail cars at a cost of more than $400 million.

The battle preparations got underway after the May 6 introduction of legislation that would require all railroad equipment to be marked with reflective devices.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle and Sen. Tim Johnson, both Democrats from South Dakota, proposed the measure, which gives the Department of Transportation six months to develop a rule requiring all freight, passenger and commuter rail cars to be equipped or retrofitted with some type of reflective marker within two years.

"The purpose of this bill is to help prevent fatal accidents and injuries at poorly-lit railroad crossings," Johnson said. "Last year, more than 350 people died in approximately 2,800 automobile accidents at railroad crossings nationwide. Many of those accidents occurred during the night at rural and small town rail crossings.

"For very little cost, this legislation will improve rail car visibility and thereby reduce the number of accidents, injuries and deaths at rail crossings," he said.

Johnson introduced the bill at the urging of the South Dakota lawmakers and the state's governor, Bill Janklow. The Legislature dropped a proposal to require trains operating in the state to have reflective devices after the South Dakota Department of Transportation said the proposal should be done on a national basis.

A 1998 Federal Railroad Administration study estimated it would cost railroads $65 to install reflective devices or materials on new cars and $99 to retrofit existing cars.

For the full story, see the June 7 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.