Rail Transit Roadway Worker Protection

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is publishing a final rule for minimum safety standards for rail transit roadway worker protection (RWP) to ensure the safe operation of public transportation systems and to prevent safety events, fatalities, and injuries to transit workers who may access the roadway in the performance of work. This final rule applies to rail transit agencies (RTAs) covered by the State Safety Oversight (SSO) program, SSO agencies (SSOAs), and rail transit workers who access the roadway to perform work. This final rule sets minimum standards for RWP program elements, including an RWP manual and track access guide; requirements for on-track safety and supervision, job safety briefings, good faith safety challenges, and reporting unsafe acts and conditions and near-misses; development and implementation of risk-based redundant protections for workers; and establishment of RWP training and qualification and RWP compliance monitoring activities. RTAs are expected to comply with these Federal standards as a baseline and use their existing Safety Management System (SMS) processes to determine any additional mitigations appropriate to address the level of RWP risk identified. This final rule requires SSOAs to oversee and enforce implementation of the RWP program requirements.