WASHINGTON, D.C. — May 6, 2025 — Yesterday, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) filed comments in response to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Request for Information (Docket No DOT-OST-2025-0026-0001), calling on the agency to modernize and streamline rail regulations that stifle innovation and discourage investment without enhancing safety. The principal issue raised in the filing is the Biden Administration’s crew staffing rule mandating a minimum of two crew members per train in perpetuity — an unsubstantiated mandate that conflicts with the Trump administration’s policy goals of regulatory reform, technological advancement, and data-driven rulemaking.
“For too long, outdated, arbitrary regulations have stood in the way of implementing data-backed solutions that can further strengthen railroads’ already remarkable safety record,” said AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies. “As technology advances, railroads must be empowered to innovate — not be hamstrung by prescriptive rules, including some written more than 50 years ago. As a critical economic enabler, domestic growth and prosperity are contingent upon maintaining freight railroads’ ability to safely, reliably and affordably deliver for American businesses and communities.”
In its comments, AAR called for an overall shift from rigid, obsolete regulations to performance-based standards that drive innovation and allow railroads to adopt modern technologies. AAR also urged the Department to consider equity across all transportation modes when regulating new and emerging technologies. To align with the Administration’s deregulatory priorities outlined in Executive Order 14219, AAR identified four specific actions USDOT should take:
- Repeal the Biden Administration’s 2024 crew staffing rule requiring each train be operated by a minimum of two crew members. The rule was a 2020 campaign promise that failed to quantify any safety benefit to justify its significant costs.
- Modernize track inspection regulations to facilitate the use of proven technology that offers enhanced safety benefits.
- Complete regulatory revisions initiated during the first Trump administration to reflect the ubiquitous use of modern, self-diagnostic signal equipment across the rail network.
- Finalize a previously proposed rule that would reflect advances in modern-day air brake technology by extending inspection intervals.
Collectively, these changes would reduce unnecessary regulatory burden while continuing to meet USDOT’s responsibility to ensure the safety of the nation’s transportation system.
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