Railroad regulators can now ignore minor safety violations

The US Federal Railroad Administration proposes a new rule that lets its lawyers decide not to pursue certain violations. This means the agency can choose to overlook minor technical infractions that do not pose a direct safety risk.

For decades, railroad operators faced enforcement for every violation, no matter how small. This change means the agency can now focus its limited resources on serious safety issues. It also means operators might face less scrutiny for minor paperwork errors or technicalities.