Gallego, Colleagues Weigh in on Rail Industry Push to Cut Track Safety Inspections

WASHINGTON - Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) joined Senate colleagues in a letter to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) expressing their concern over a waiver requested by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) to dramatically reduce track safety inspections and loosen requirements to repair safety defects.

"We are supportive of the deployment of advanced safety technologies; but the Federal Railroad Administration should take care not to allow railroads to become overly reliant on technology," the Senators wrote in a letter to Drew Feeley, Deputy Administrator of the FRA. "We are concerned that the AAR's proposal would do just that, reducing the inspections for all track safety issues that are currently inspected by humans in exchange for potentially improving the inspection of track geometry issues."

Read the full letter HERE.

7/15/25