SEC. 5. AUTOMATIC TRAIN ESCAPE DEVICE STUDY.
(a) STUDY.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall complete and
transmit to the Congress a report detailing the results of
a study of the technical, structural, and economic feasibil-
ity of installing in rail passenger cars devices which, in
the event of a collision, would automatically provide pas-
senger escape access.
(b) REGULATIONS.—If the Secretary finds in the
study that automatic train escape devices should be re-
quired on rail passenger trains, the Secretary shall, not
later than 180 days after the date the report is submitted
to Congress under subsection (a), promulgate regulations
to require automatic train escape devices on rail passenger
trains as soon as practicable after the promulgation of the
regulations.
SEC. 6. EMERGENCY SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall deter-
mine what regulations are necessary to increase the ability
of passengers to escape from a rail car in the event of
an emergency. The Secretary shall consider whether regu-
lations are necessary to require—
(1) emergency lighting in each rail car;
(2) emergency windows that are clearly marked
and operate easily;
(3) doors that are easy to operate in an emer-
gency situation;
(4) clear emergency procedure instructions to
be prominently displayed in all rail passenger cars;
and
(5) public address announcements at each train
stop that direct passengers to emergency procedure
instructions displayed in each car.
(b) REGULATIONS.—If the Secretary determines that
promulgating any of the regulations referred to in sub-
section (a) is necessary, the Secretary shall promulgate
such regulations, to take effect as soon as practicable after
the promulgation of the regulations.
SEC. 7. LOCOMOTIVE FUEL TANKS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall estab-
lish, by regulation, minimum safety standards for fuel
tanks of locomotives of rail passenger trains that take into
consideration environmental protection and public safety.
(b) APPLICABILITY.—The Secretary may limit the
applicability of the regulations promulgated under sub-
section (a) to new locomotives (as defined by the Sec-
retary) if the Secretary determines that the limitation is
appropriate.
SEC. 8. PASSENGER CAR CRASHWORTHINESS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall deter-
mine whether to promulgate regulations, for the purpose
of protecting public safety, to—
(1) require crash posts at the corners of rail
passenger cars;
(2) require safety locomotives on rail passenger
trains;
(3) establish minimum crashworthiness stand-
ards for passenger cab cars; or
(4) carry out any combination of paragraphs
(1) through (3).
(b) REGULATIONS.—If the Secretary determines that
promulgating any of the regulations referred to in sub-
section (a) is necessary to protect public safety, the Sec-
retary shall, not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, promulgate such regulations in
final form, to take effect as soon as practicable after the
promulgation of the regulations.
(c) REPORT.—If the Secretary determines under sub-
section (a) that taking any action referred to in para-
graphs (1) through (3) of such subsection is not necessary
to protect public safety, not later than the date of the de-
termination the Secretary shall submit a report to the
Congress that provides the reasons for that determination.
SEC. 9. SIGNAL PLACEMENT.
(a) STUDY.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall complete a
study of the placement of rail signals along railways. In
conducting the study, the Secretary shall at a minimum
determine whether regulations should be promulgated to
require—
(1) that a signal be placed along a railway at
each exit of a rail station; and
(2) if practicable, that a signal be placed so
that it is visible only to the train employee of a train
that the signal is designed to influence.
(b) REGULATIONS.—If, upon completion of the study
conducted under subsection (a), the Secretary determines
that the regulations referred to in that subsection are nec-
essary for the protection of public safety, the Secretary
shall, not later than 180 days after the completion of the
study, promulgate those regulations.
(c) REPORT.—If, upon completion of the study con-
ducted under subsection (a), the Secretary determines
that promulgating any of the regulations referred to in
that subsection is not necessary for the protection of pub-
lic safety, not later than the date of the determination the
Secretary shall submit a report to the Congress that pro-
vides the reasons for that determination.
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