In cases where the passenger operator owns its own track (as many older commuter railroads do and as Amtrak does on most of the Northeast Corridor, on 232 miles of track in Michigan, and at its major terminals like Chicago and New Orleans), it is completely responsible for establishing operating rules, complying with FRA and state requirements, and overseeing all aspects of safety, including for any tenant railroads (other passenger carriers or freight carriers). The passenger-dominated Northeast Corridor and many of its branches, for example, use a different set of operating rules than those used on nearly all other U.S. railroads.
2.8 Associations and Nonprofits Association of American Railroads (AAR) The AAR’s membership consists of 20 full members: the seven Class I freight railroads operating in the U.S., along with Amtrak, one commuter railroad and several short line freight railroads and holding companies. It also has eight “special members” operating in Canada and Mexico, 21 “railroad affiliates” (commuter and private intercity passenger and tourist train operators), and dozens of “associates,” which are rail industry vendors and consulting companies.87 The AAR is “the standard setting organization for North America’s railroads,” according to its website, establishing safety, security and operating standards that guide seamless and safe operations across the 140,000-mile U.S. freight rail network. It also has two subsidiaries, TTCI and Railinc, that conduct research, development and testing to enhance rail safety, security and efficiency and serve as clearinghouses for data and information. AAR further supports the Railroad Research Foundation, which also conducts safety and security-related research.88 The AAR’s Technical Services group of committees develops, maintains and enforces North American railroad interchange rules, mechanical standards and component specifications. Class Is and short lines, FRA, Transport Canada, private railcar owners, shippers and suppliers all refer to these standards. These standards are guided by and compliant with federal law and with FRA and Transport Canada regulations, but also cover areas not explicitly covered by government mandates. Committee members include railroad and non-railroad subject matter experts, and each committee is managed either by a member of AAR’s Washington staff or by a member of TTCI’s staff in Pueblo, Colorado. These standards cover such areas as railcar brake systems, safety device and structural soundness inspections, facility certifications, component approvals, and the Early Warning and Maintenance Advisory System that alerts railroads to potential hazards related to equipment.89 The AAR touts freight rail as one of the country’s safest industries, with employee injury rates lower than those of other modes of transportation and other major industries. The association credits this to railroads’ strong safety culture consisting of daily briefings, peer-to-peer safety programs, and state-of-the-art training programs that feature
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