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‘‘(1) to drive around a grade crossing gate in
a position intended to block passage over railroad
tracks;
‘‘(2) to drive through a flashing grade crossing
signal;
‘‘(3) to drive through a grade crossing with pas-
sive warning signs without ensuring that the grade
crossing could be safely crossed before any train ar-
rived; and
‘‘(4) in the vicinity of a grade crossing, that
creates a hazard of an accident involving injury or
property damage at the grade crossing.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The item relating
to section 20151 in the table of sections for subchapter
II of chapter 201 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended to read as follows:
‘‘20151. Railroad trespassing, vandalism, and signal violation prevention strat-
egy.’’.
TITLE III—HOURS OF SERVICE
SEC. 
301. 
LIMITATIONS 
ON 
DUTY 
HOURS 
OF 
TRAIN
EMPLOYEES.
(a) GENERAL RULES.—Section 21103(a) of title 49,
United States Code, is amended by striking paragraphs
(1) and (2) and inserting in lieu thereof the following new
paragraphs:
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‘‘(1) unless that employee has had at least 8
consecutive hours of undisturbed rest off duty dur-
ing the prior 24 hours;
‘‘(2) for a period in excess of 12 consecutive
hours;
‘‘(3) after that employee has been on duty for
10 or more consecutive hours, unless that employee
immediately after being released from such period of
duty has at least 10 consecutive hours off duty;
‘‘(4) unless that employee has received notice at
least 8 hours before beginning such duty;
‘‘(5) unless that employee has had at least one
period of at least 24 consecutive hours off duty in
the past 7 days; and
‘‘(6) unless, when last released from duty at
that employee’s home terminal, the employee had as
much time off duty at the employee’s home terminal
as the employee most recently had off duty at the
employee’s away-from-home designated terminal.’’.
(b) TIME WAITING
FOR DEADHEAD TRANSPOR-
TATION.—Section 21103(b)(4) of title 49, United States
Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘or waiting on a train, with
assigned duties, for deadhead transportation from a duty
assignment’’ after ‘‘to a duty assignment’’.
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(c) DEFINITION OF UNDISTURBED REST.—Section
21101 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new paragraph:
‘‘(6) ‘undisturbed rest’ means a period during
which an employee receives no communication from
the employing railroad carrier and its officers and
agents.’’.
SEC. 302. SPLIT SHIFTS.
Section 21103 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(d) SPLIT SHIFTS.—(1) A railroad carrier and its
officers and agents may require a train employee to work
a split shift only if the split shift begins between 12:01
a.m. and 11:59 a.m. and ends before 2:00 a.m. on the
day following the day on which the shift begins.
‘‘(2) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘split
shift’ means a tour of duty in which an employee, having
just completed a rest period of at least 8 hours, reports
for duty, works an initial work period, has an interim pe-
riod for rest of at least 4 hours but less than 8 hours
at the employee’s designated terminal, and then works one
or more additional work periods before being released for
a rest period of at least 8 hours.
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‘‘(3) For railroad carriers providing commuter rail
passenger transportation, as defined in section 24102(5)
of this title, and with respect to train employees engaged
in such transportation, this subsection shall take effect 90
days after the date of the enactment of the Railroad Safe-
ty Reform Act of 1996. For railroad carriers other than
those providing such commuter rail passenger transpor-
tation, and for train employees engaged in other forms of
railroad transportation, this subsection shall take effect 2
years after the date of the enactment of the Railroad Safe-
ty Reform Act of 1996.’’.
SEC. 303. LIMITATIONS ON DUTY HOURS OF SIGNAL EM-
PLOYEES.
Section 21104(b)(3) of title 49, United States Code,
is amended by striking ‘‘, except that up to’’ and all that
follows through ‘‘time off duty’’.
SEC. 304. EMPLOYEE SLEEPING QUARTERS.
Section 21106 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘(a) GENERAL RULE.—’’ be-
fore ‘‘A railroad carrier’’;
(2) by striking ‘‘officers and agents’’ and all
that follows through ‘‘may provide’’ and inserting in
lieu thereof ‘‘officers and agents may provide’’;
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(3) by striking ‘‘under the control of the car-
rier’’;
(4) by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting in lieu
thereof a period; and
(5) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting in
lieu thereof the following new subsections:
‘‘(b) LOCATION.—Effective January 1, 1997, sleep-
ing quarters referred to in subsection (a) shall not be lo-
cated in an area or in the immediate vicinity of an area,
as determined under regulations prescribed by the Sec-
retary of Transportation, in which railroad switching or
humping operations are performed.
‘‘(c) MAXIMUM NOISE LEVELS.—The Secretary, in
prescribing regulations under this section, shall set maxi-
mum noise levels which may be experienced in sleeping
quarters. Such levels shall be based in part on single event
noise levels.’’.
SEC. 305. ROTATING SHIFTS.
(a) AMENDMENT.—Chapter 211 of title 49, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the follow-
ing new section:
‘‘§ 21109. Rotating shifts
‘‘(a) GENERAL RULE.—Except as provided in sec-
tions 21103(c), 21104(c), and 21105(d), a railroad carrier
and its officers and agents may not require or allow an
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employee to report for duty to begin an 8-hour shift which
begins at a time that is more than 4 hours earlier or more
than 6 hours later than the time of day when that em-
ployee, within the previous 72 hours, began a prior 8-hour
shift.
‘‘(b) DETERMINING TIME ON DUTY.—For purposes
of this section, the rules for determining time on duty stat-
ed in sections 21103(b), 21104(b), and 21105(c), as ap-
propriate, shall apply.
‘‘(c) STUDY OF ALTERNATIVE METHODS.—The Sec-
retary of Transportation shall initiate a study of alter-
native methods of preventing fatigue due to rotating
shifts, and shall report to the Congress on the results of
such study, including proposals for revising chapter 211
of this title, as results become available.
‘‘(d) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the
term ‘8-hour shift’ means a period during which an em-
ployee is on duty for 8 consecutive hours or longer.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions for chapter 211 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new item:
‘‘21109. Rotating shifts.’’.
SEC. 306. TRAIN DISPATCHERS.
Section 21101(2) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended to read as follows:
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‘‘(2) ‘dispatching service employee’ means an
operator, train dispatcher, supervisory train dis-
patcher, power director, or other train employee
who—
‘‘(A) by the use of an electrical or mechan-
ical device dispatches, reports, transmits, re-
ceives, or delivers orders related to or affecting
train movements;
‘‘(B) directly supervises an employee who
carries out responsibilities described in subpara-
graph (A); or
‘‘(C) dispatches trains through control of
third rail or pantographic electrical power.’’.
SEC. 307. RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOURS OF SERVICE
CHANGES.
The Railroad Safety Advisory Committee shall con-
vene a working group to consider what legislative changes
might be appropriate to chapter 211 of title 49, United
States Code, relating to hours of service. Not later than
9 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Advisory Committee shall report to the Administrator of
the Federal Railroad Administration on whether it has
reached consensus on any recommended changes, and if
so what they are. The Administrator shall transmit the
recommendations of the Advisory Committee to the Con-
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gress. If the Advisory Committee has not reached consen-
sus on any recommendations, the Administrator shall, not
later than 6 months after receiving the report of the Advi-
sory Committee, transmit to the Congress the Administra-
tor’s recommendations for appropriate legislative changes
to such chapter 211.
TITLE IV—PASSENGER SERVICE
SAFETY STANDARDS
SEC. 401. EMERGENCY WINDOWS AND DOORS.
Section 20133 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(e) EMERGENCY WINDOWS AND DOORS.—(1) After
January 1, 1999, all railroad cars, including self-propelled
cars, used for providing transportation for members of the
general public shall—
‘‘(A) have emergency windows installed in at
least one half of their window locations;
‘‘(B) have emergency windows or emergency
panels in each of their interior and exterior doors;
‘‘(C) have emergency doors at each exterior and
interior door location; and
‘‘(D) adjacent to each emergency window, emer-
gency panel, and emergency door, have—
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‘‘(i) 
on 
the 
exterior 
car 
surface,
retroreflective signage; and
‘‘(ii) on the interior car surface, fluores-
cent signage,
clearly marking the emergency window, emergency
panel, or emergency door and containing easily un-
derstood instructions on the operation of the emer-
gency window, emergency panel, or emergency door.
‘‘(2) For purposes of this subsection—
‘‘(A) the term ‘emergency door’ means a door
with an easily accessible interior quick-release mech-
anism allowing the door to be opened quickly in an
emergency;
‘‘(B) the term ‘emergency panel’ means an
opaque panel designed to permit rapid and easy re-
moval for passenger escape in an emergency; and
‘‘(C) the term ‘emergency window’ means a
window designed to permit rapid and easy removal
for passenger escape in an emergency.
‘‘(3) This subsection shall not apply to railroad cars
used by tourist, excursion, scenic, or historic railroads that
are not part of the general system of railroad transpor-
tation and that do not operate at speeds in excess of 30
miles per hour.’’.
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SEC. 402. PASSENGER RAILROAD SIGNAL SYSTEMS.
(a) AMENDMENT.—(1) Section 20502 of title 49,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
‘‘(c) PASSENGER RAILROAD SIGNALS.—Each rail-
road line on which passenger service operates, except lines
where automatic train stop or cab signaling equipment is
in use for all passenger service, shall have installed ap-
proach and stop signals such that at least one approach
signal intervenes between a passenger station stop and a
subsequent stop signal.’’.
(2) The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall
take effect January 1, 1998.
(b) STUDY.—The Secretary of Transportation shall,
within 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act,
transmit to the Congress a report on the results of a study
of the safety implications of signal systems and their
placement. In conducting the study, the Secretary shall
consult with representatives of railroad labor, railroad
management, and railroad equipment manufacturers.
After transmitting the report, the Secretary shall initiate
appropriate rulemaking proceedings under chapter 205 of
title 49, United States Code, to implement the rec-
ommendations made in the report.
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SEC. 403. PASSENGER LOCOMOTIVE FUEL TANKS.
(a) AMENDMENT.—Chapter 207 of title 49, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the follow-
ing new section:
‘‘§ 20704. Passenger locomotive fuel tanks
‘‘(a) REQUIREMENTS.—Any locomotive manufac-
tured after the date of the enactment of the Railroad Safe-
ty Reform Act of 1996, and delivered to a railroad carrier
on or after January 1, 1998, for use on passenger trains,
except for a locomotive intended primarily for yard switch-
ing purposes, shall—
‘‘(1) be equipped with fuel tanks that are inter-
nal and compartmentalized;
‘‘(2) be equipped with internal fuel tank bulk-
heads and skin that are either 3⁄8 inch steel plate
with 25,000-pound yield strength or another mate-
rial of equivalent strength; and
‘‘(3) have fuel tank vent systems that are de-
signed to prevent those systems from becoming a
path of fuel loss in the event the tank is placed in
an abnormal orientation due to a locomotive derail-
ing.
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section—
‘‘(1) the term ‘compartmentalized’ means hav-
ing an interior divided into at least 4 separate com-
partments designed so that penetration of the exte-
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rior skin of any 1 compartment shall result in loss
of fuel only from that compartment; and
‘‘(2) the term ‘internal’ means having its lowest
point at least 18 inches above the lowest point on
the locomotive wheel tread, and being enclosed by, or
part of, the locomotive structure.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions for chapter 207 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new item:
‘‘20704. Passenger locomotive fuel tanks.’’.
SEC. 404. PASSENGER CAR CRASHWORTHINESS.
Section 20133 of title 49, United States Code, as
amended by section 401 of this Act, is further amended
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(f) CRASHWORTHINESS.—(1) Any railroad pas-
senger car, including a self-propelled car, manufactured
after the date of the enactment of the Railroad Safety Re-
form Act of 1996, and delivered to a railroad carrier on
or after January 1, 1998, shall be equipped with corner
posts—
‘‘(A) extending from the underframe structure
to the roof structure; and
‘‘(B) capable of resisting a horizontal load (with
an orientation ranging from longitudinal inward to
transverse inward) of 150,000 pounds at the point
of attachment to the underframe without a failure.
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‘‘(2) Any railroad passenger car, including a self-pro-
pelled car, used by a railroad carrier after January 1,
2000, shall be equipped with corner posts described in
paragraph (1)(A) and (B). This paragraph shall not apply
to railroad passenger cars used by tourist, excursion, sce-
nic, or historic railroads that are not part of the general
system of railroad transportation and that do not operate
at speeds in excess of 30 miles per hour.’’.
SEC. 405. POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL.
(a) AMENDMENTS.—Section 20150 of title 49, Unit-
ed States Code, is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘PROGRESS REPORT’’ in the
section heading;
(2) by inserting ‘‘(a) PROGRESS REPORT.—’’
before ‘‘The Secretary of Transportation’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(b) SCHEDULE FOR IMPLEMENTATION.—(1) The
Secretary shall—
‘‘(A) before March 31, 1997—
‘‘(i) develop a model for assessing the risks
associated with accident or injury on railroad
corridors;
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‘‘(ii) compile data on each railroad corridor
to enable the application of the model developed
under clause (i); and
‘‘(iii) rank railroad corridors on the basis
of their risks associated with accident or injury;
‘‘(B) before October 1, 1997, identify high-pri-
ority railroad corridors the Secretary will require to
be equipped with positive train control systems,
which shall include, at a minimum, all railroad lines
on which more than 42 regularly scheduled pas-
senger trains per week operate and all railroad lines
on which more than 2,500,000 tons of hazardous
materials are transported each year; and
‘‘(C) before October 1, 1998, issue regulations
establishing standards for the use of positive train
control systems and requiring their use on high-pri-
ority railroad corridors by no later than September
30, 2000.
‘‘(2) For purposes of this subsection—
‘‘(A) the term ‘passenger train’ does not include
trains operated by tourist, excursion, scenic, or his-
toric railroads that are not part of the general sys-
tem of railroad transportation and that do not oper-
ate at speeds in excess of 30 miles per hour; and
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‘‘(B) the term ‘positive train control system’
means a system for automatically controlling the
speed of or stopping a train to prevent collisions, en-
force speed restrictions, and protect roadway work-
ers and their equipment in the event that the train
operator has failed to take appropriate action.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The item relating
to section 20150 in the table of sections for subchapter
II of chapter 201 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by striking ‘‘progress report’’.
TITLE V—EMPLOYEE AUTHOR-
ITY, 
CERTIFICATION, 
AND
EQUIPMENT
SEC. 501. EMPLOYEE RESPONSE TO HAZARDOUS CONDI-
TIONS.
(a) REFUSING TO WORK OR TO AUTHORIZE EQUIP-
MENT USE.—Section 20109(b)(1) of title 49, United
States Code, is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘REFUSING TO WORK BECAUSE
OF’’ in the subsection heading;
(2) by inserting ‘‘or against an employee re-
sponsible for the inspection or repair of safety-relat-
ed equipment, track, or structures for refusing to
authorize the use of such equipment, track, or struc-
tures when the employee believes that the equip-
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ment, track, or structures are in a hazardous condi-
tion and that the use of the equipment, track, or
structures would endanger human life,’’ after ‘‘per-
formance of the employee’s duties,’’;
(3) by inserting ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at
the end of subparagraph (A); and
(4) by striking subparagraphs (B) and (C) and
inserting in lieu thereof the following new subpara-
graph:
‘‘(B) the employee, where possible, has notified
the carrier of the existence of the hazardous condi-
tion and the intention not to perform further work
or not to authorize the use of the hazardous equip-
ment, track, or structures, unless the condition is
corrected immediately or the equipment is repaired
properly or replaced.’’.
(b) DISPUTE RESOLUTION.—Section 20109(d) of
title 49, United States Code, as so redesignated by section
109(a)(1) of this Act, is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘180 days’’ and inserting in lieu
thereof ‘‘60 days’’; and
(2) by striking ‘‘If the violation is’’ and all that
follows through ‘‘$20,000.’’ and inserting in lieu
thereof the following: ‘‘If the employee has been
found by such Board, division, delegate, or board of
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adjustment to have been discharged or discriminated
against in violation of subsection (b), the employee
shall be made whole, including reinstatement, with
an award of back pay, and with all benefits and ac-
cumulated seniority. The employee may also be
awarded punitive damages sufficient to deter the
railroad carrier from such conduct in the future.’’.
SEC. 502. CERTIFICATION OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS
AND 
OTHER 
SAFETY-RELATED 
RAILROAD
PERSONNEL.
(a) AMENDMENT.—Section 20135 of title 49, United
States Code, is amended to read as follows:
‘‘§ 20135. Certification of locomotive engineers and
other safety-related railroad personnel
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Fed-
eral Railroad Administration shall establish a program for
issuing certificates for—
‘‘(1) carmen;
‘‘(2) conductors;
‘‘(3) dispatchers;
‘‘(4) locomotive engineers;
‘‘(5) signalmen;
‘‘(6) track inspectors; and
‘‘(7) trainmen,
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to individuals when the Administrator finds, after inves-
tigation, that the individuals are qualified for, and phys-
ically able to perform the duties related to, the position
to be authorized by the certificates. After January 1,
1999, no person shall carry out the responsibilities of the
carman, conductor, dispatcher, locomotive engineer, sig-
nalman, track inspector, or trainman unless that person
has been certificated for that position by the Adminis-
trator.
‘‘(b) GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS.—The program es-
tablished under subsection (a)—
‘‘(1) shall provide qualification standards and
minimum training requirements for each type of po-
sition described in subsection (a); and
‘‘(2) shall require comprehensive knowledge of
applicable railroad carrier operating practices and
rules.
‘‘(c) LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS.—
‘‘(1) QUALIFICATIONS.—The program estab-
lished under subsection (a), in the case of certifi-
cation of a locomotive engineer—
‘‘(A) except as provided in paragraph
(2)(A), shall require consideration, to the extent
the information is available, of the motor vehi-