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1996 SESSION

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SB 273 Railroads; grade crossing safety, maintenance.

Introduced by: Warren E. Barry | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY:

Railroads; grade crossing safety, maintenance. Repeals obsolete or federally preempted laws relating to railroad companies in the Commonwealth. It also replaces outdated nomenclature with the current terminology used by the railroad industry and government agencies. The bill also includes the following provisions affecting the safety, maintenance, and funding of railroad crossings and tracks: (1) establishes a process by which an interested party may petition the Commonwealth Transportation Board to close a railroad crossing, provided the Commissioner conducts a traffic engineering study of the crossing; (2) requires railroad companies to participate in the Federal Railroad Safety and Inspection Program; (3) requires railroad companies to report accidents involving persons or property to the State Corporation Commission; (4) requires notice to the Commonwealth of mergers, consolidations, abandonments, or discontinuances; (5) establishes public policy for eliminating unnecessary grade crossings; (6) provides petitioning and funding processes to eliminate unnecessary crossings; and (7) creates guidelines and procedures for railroad crossing signals and warning devices. A letter suggesting that this bill be returned to the General Assembly for amendment is attached. The first amendment corrects outdated terminology whereas amendments 2 through 5 clarify what type of entity, in addition to The Commonwealth Transportation Board, may make decisions regarding track safety and maintenance. All five of these amendments conform with duplicate amendments made extensively throughout the bill and would ensure that the affected statutes are amended in a uniform manner. This bill is a duplicate of HB 1133.


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