Secure Tracks Act

The Secure Tracks Act amends federal rail safety law to establish new minimum requirements for visual and automated track inspections, defect remediation, and prohibits waivers that reduce safety coverage.

Sec. 2, Track inspections: This section adds a new rule requiring visual inspections of main line track used for Class 3 speeds or higher at least twice per week with at least one day between inspections. Any safety defect found by any method must be corrected, protected, or removed from service immediately. If a qualified inspector finds a deviation from safety rules, they must start remedial action and have sole authority to authorize train movements for repairs on out-of-service track. The Secretary of Transportation cannot grant a waiver or exemption that reduces safety coverage if the alternative method fails to detect all unsafe defect conditions. Within one year, the Secretary must update regulations to require Track Geometry Measurement System (TGMS) inspections at specific frequencies for different track classes and tonnage levels, ranging from once per year for low-tonnage Class 1 track to twice every 30 days for Class 9 track, with minimum days between inspections. The Secretary must also update rules to require immediate remediation of any deviation found by a human or machine inspection. The section defines key terms including track classes, main line, qualified inspector, and TGMS.