FRA proposes cameras in passenger locomotives to record employees

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) earlier this week published a notice of proposed rulemaking for a new regulation that would require installation of inward- and outward-facing video cameras on all lead locomotives in passenger trains.

The image-recording devices would record while a lead locomotive is in motion and retain the data in a crashworthy memory module, according to a notice the FRA published July 24 in the Federal Register.

In addition, the FRA is proposing to treat the recording devices as "safety devices" under existing federal railroad safety regulations to prohibit tampering with or disabling them, according to the notice.

Also, the recorded data would be used to conduct operational tests to determine passenger railroad operating employees' compliance with applicable railroad rules and federal regulations, the notice stated.

The FRA is seeking comment on the proposed rule until Sept. 23.

Moreover, the FRA anticipates resolving the rulemaking without a public hearing. However,  if — before Aug. 23 — enough people indicate that they are unable to present an opinion in written form, a hearing will be scheduled, the notice states.