‘‘§ 20154. Freight train crew size safety standards 
‘‘(a) MINIMUM CREW SIZE.—Except as provided in 
subsection (b), no Class I railroad carrier may operate a 
freight train without a 2-person crew consisting of at least 
1 appropriately qualified and certified conductor and 1 ap-
propriately qualified and certified locomotive engineer. 
‘‘(b) EXCEPTIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), the requirement under subsection (a) 
shall not apply with respect to— 
‘‘(A) train operations on track that is not 
main line track; 
‘‘(B) locomotives performing assistance to 
a train that has incurred mechanical failure or 
lacks the power to traverse difficult terrain, in-
cluding traveling to or from the location where 
assistance is provided; 
‘‘(C) locomotives that— 
‘‘(i) are not attached to any equip-
ment or are attached only to a caboose; 
and 
‘‘(ii) travel not farther than 50 miles 
from the point of origin of such locomotive; 
and 
‘‘(D) train operations staffed with fewer 
than a 2-person crew at least 1 year before the 
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date of the enactment of the Safe Freight Act 
of 2024, except if the Secretary determines that 
such operations do not achieve an equivalent 
level of safety as would result from compliance 
with the requirement under subsection (a). 
‘‘(2) TRAINS
INELIGIBLE
FOR
EXCEPTION.— 
The exceptions under paragraph (2) shall not apply 
with respect to— 
‘‘(A) a high-hazard train; or 
‘‘(B) a train with a total length of at least 
7,500 feet. 
‘‘(c) WAIVER.—A railroad carrier may seek a waiver 
of the requirements under subsection (a) in accordance 
with section 20103(d). 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) HIGH-HAZARD
TRAIN.—The term ‘high- 
hazard train’ means a single train transporting, 
throughout the train consist— 
‘‘(A) not fewer than 20 tank cars loaded 
with a flammable liquid (Class 3) (as such term 
is defined in section 173.120 of title 49, Code 
of Federal Regulations, or successor regula-
tions); 
‘‘(B) not fewer than 1 tank car or inter-
modal portable tank load with a material poi-
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sonous by inhalation or a material toxic by in-
halation (as such term is defined in section 
171.8 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, 
or successor regulations); 
‘‘(C) not fewer than 1 car loaded with a 
type B package or a fissile material package (as 
such terms are defined in section 173.403 of 
title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, or suc-
cessor regulations); 
‘‘(D) not fewer than 10 cars loaded with 
Class 1 explosives categorized under section 
173.50 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations 
(or successor regulations) as being in division 
1.1, 1.2, or 1.3; 
‘‘(E) not fewer than 5 tank cars loaded 
with a flammable gas (as such term is defined 
in section 173.115(a) of title 49, Code of Fed-
eral Regulations, or successor regulations); or 
‘‘(F) not fewer than 20 cars loaded with 
any combination of flammable liquids, flam-
mable gases, or explosives. 
‘‘(2) MAIN LINE TRACK.—The term ‘main line 
track’ means— 
‘‘(A) a segment or route of railroad 
tracks— 
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‘‘(i) over which 5,000,000 or more 
gross tons of railroad traffic is transported 
annually; and 
‘‘(ii) that has a maximum authorized 
speed for freight trains in excess of 25 
miles per hours; and 
‘‘(B) intercity rail passenger transportation 
or commuter rail passenger transportation 
routes or segments over which high-hazard 
trains operate.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for sub-
chapter II of chapter 201 of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
20153 the following: 
‘‘20154. Freight train crew size safety standards.’’. 
(c) 
PRESERVATION
OF
AUTHORITY
OF
SEC-
RETARY.—Nothing in section 20154 of title 49, United 
States Code, as added by this section, shall be construed 
to limit the authority of the Secretary of Transportation 
under any other provision of law. 
Æ 
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