APTA Asks FRA for Extension of Commuter Rail Dispatcher & Signal Employee Certification Rules
8/15/2024
APTA sent a letter this week to FRA Administrator Amit Bose urging the agency to adjust the deadline for submission of completed programs for commuter railroads from March 22, 2025, to July 22, 2025.
Dispatcher and signal employees have a vital role in ensuring safety for passengers and workers, APTA noted. Creating a certification system for dispatcher and signal employees will “ensure a formal training process and verify that employees are skilled and able to perform their duties.”
However, the final rule requires railroads providing commuter service to submit their written certification programs to the FRA no later than eight months after the rule’s effective date, May 22, 2025.
The letter states that “due to the complex nature of developing these certification programs, our members have expressed that they require more time to submit their certification programs. The FRA acknowledges that the creation of a certification program will be a lengthy process. However, the Regulatory Impact Analysis for these rules was incorrect to assume that the current training programs of commuter railroads are comparable to Class I railroads and Amtrak. Unlike Amtrak and Class I railroads, many commuter railroads contract their dispatch and signal responsibilities and do not have the internal expertise required to create these programs. Accordingly, commuter railroads will have to undergo a hiring process to acquire the needed expertise to draft the new certification programs.”