Amtrak Safety - Bog

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined whether the: (1) National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) has effective procedures for inspecting, repairing, and maintaining its passenger cars to ensure safe operation; and (2) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) provides adequate oversight to ensure the safety of Amtrak's passenger cars.
GAO found that: (1) Amtrak's Mechanical Department is responsible for ensuring that locomotives and passenger cars meet FRA and Amtrak safety standards; (2) Amtrak standards have been incorporated into a system of procedures and controls to ensure that passenger cars are in compliance; (3) Amtrak controls are ineffective because Amtrak employees do not document repairs or supervisory review of the inspection process; (4) some standards are disregarded when parts are not available or there is insufficient time for repairs before a car is placed into service; (5) budget cuts have forced layoffs in overhaul personnel and caused Amtrak's passenger car fleet to be past due for maintenance overhauls; and (6) FRA does not have minimum safety standards for mechanical components on passenger cars because FRA officials believe this is an Amtrak-only issue that can be addressed informally.