Safe Freight Act of 2024

The Safe Freight Act of 2024 amends title 49 of the United States Code to require Class I railroad carriers to operate certain freight trains with a minimum 2-person crew, consisting of a qualified conductor and a qualified locomotive engineer, with specific exceptions and waiver provisions.

Sec. 2, Freight train crew size safety standards: This section establishes a minimum crew size of two persons for freight trains operated by Class I railroad carriers, requiring at least one qualified conductor and one qualified locomotive engineer. Exceptions apply to train operations on non-main line track, locomotives assisting mechanically failed trains or those needing extra power, locomotives not attached to equipment or only to a caboose traveling within 50 miles of origin, and operations that had fewer than two crew members at least one year before the Act's enactment, unless the Secretary determines these operations lack equivalent safety. However, these exceptions do not apply to high-hazard trains or trains at least 7,500 feet long. Railroad carriers may seek a waiver of the requirement. The section defines 'high-hazard train' as a single train transporting specified quantities of hazardous materials, such as flammable liquids, poisonous gases, or explosives, and 'main line track' as track segments with high annual traffic and speeds over 25 mph, or routes over which high-hazard trains operate. The Secretary of Transportation's authority under other laws is preserved.