Railroad companies must now prove their safety waivers are in the public interest

The Federal Railroad Administration wants to define what "in the public interest" and "consistent with railroad safety" actually mean for companies seeking waivers. This means railroad companies will need to provide evidence of talking to affected groups when they ask for exemptions from safety rules.

For years, railroad companies could ask for waivers from safety rules without clearly defining how it would benefit the public. This change means the agency will have a clearer standard to judge these requests. It also means communities and workers affected by these waivers will have a clearer path to make their voices heard.