WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration will train more than 160 current federal and state track inspectors to handle bridge inspections, as well, the FRA has announced, increasing the number of inspectors who monitor bridges from the current figure of less than 10.
The federal track inspectors, as well as those employed by states who are part of the State Safety Participation Program, will begin training for their new roles in November. In all, 163 track inspectors are expected to receive the training.
“The Bridge Safety Standards have long helped assure that railroad bridges are safe,” FRA Acting Administrator Drew Feeley said in a press release. “The addition of this training for existing inspectors will give FRA many more opportunities to confirm the structural soundness of railroad bridges. We will continue to find new and cost-effective ways to improve safety.”
The FRA says it was approached by some states interested in helping ensure compliance with federal bridge standards. The inspectors will undergo training including bridge fundamentals; timber, steel, and concrete bridges; and components of a Bridge Management Program. Once training is complete, the inspectors will have the ability to recommend civil penalties if they observe violations regarding certain critical defects.
The announcement comes little more than a week after an Associated Press report, produced by the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at Arizona State University, examined the “minimal government oversight and limited transparency” in rail bridge inspections, particularly when compared to inspections for roadway bridges.
