Opinion ID: 765540
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Whether Section 192.25's Crew Qualification Requirements Are Preempted

Text: 25 The broad safety concern that sec. 192.25 is aimed at is ensuring that a train or locomotive crew can operate safely. The statute addresses this broad concern by addressing two related concerns: (1) who is qualified to operate a train or locomotive safely, and (2) what is the minimum number of crew persons needed to operate a train or locomotive safely. This section of our opinion addresses the statute's provisions regarding the first concern, and the next section addresses the statute's provisions regarding the second concern. 26 The statute addresses who is qualified to operate a train in three ways: sec. 192.25(1)(a) requires certain qualifications for a Certified railroad locomotive engineer; sec. 192.25 (1)(b) requires certain qualifications for a Qualified railroad trainman; and sec. 192.25(2) requires that a certified railroad locomotive engineer operate the controls of the locomotive any time the train or locomotive is moving. Federal regulations clearly cover the subject matter of these requirements. Section 192.25(1)(a) itself regulations in 49 C.F.R. part 240 that set the qualifications of an engineer. Section 192.25(1)(b) requires that a trainman be instructed and tested in the railroad's operating procedures, and the training of railroad employees is covered by federal regulations. See, e.g., 49 C.F.R. sec. 217.11(c) (requires tests of employees). In the face of the federal regulations, Wisconsin argues that these provisions are not preempted not because the federal regulations do not cover the subject matter of the state requirements, but because the state statute does not impose contradictory requirements. The short answer to this argument is that the text of sec. 20106 provides that a state may enforce a law related to railroad safety until the Secretary of Transportation prescribes a regulation or issues an order covering the subject matter of the state requirement. (Emphasis supplied.) This language does not distinguish between contradictory state requirements and merely duplicative state requirements. We previously stated: 27 If the Secretary promulgates a regulation that covers the subject matter of some state safety requirement, the state requirement must give way (with an inapplicable exception) even if there is no direct conflict, that is, even if the federal and state requirements would not place the railroad under conflicting duties. 28 Shots, 38 F.3d at 307. Moreover, Wisconsin's requirement that an engineer be at the controls of the locomotive any time it moves does directly conflict with a federal regulation: 49 C.F.R. sec. 240.7, which excludes from the definition of locomotive engineers--and thus the requirement to satisfy all qualifications--persons who move the locomotive up to 100 feet in a repair or servicing area to inspect and maintain it. These three provisions of sec. 192.25 are therefore preempted by the federal regulations. 29