Federal Railroad Administration pulls its new accident investigation policy

The Federal Railroad Administration has withdrawn a new rule about how it investigates train accidents. This means the agency will continue to use its old procedures for gathering information and talking to companies after an incident.

The agency had just published a new policy for investigating accidents, which would have changed how it collects information and consults with railroad companies. By withdrawing it, the agency signals that it is not ready to change its current practices. This leaves existing procedures in place, which have been criticized for not being transparent enough.