Railroad Safety Advisory Committee reestablishment moves ahead at FRA

The Railroad Safety Advisory Committee reestablishment is now underway at the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) after the panel was disbanded last summer, as reported by Trains.com.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

A notice published in the Federal Register on Jan. 13 restored the committee’s charter, according to the Federal Register notice on the RSAC charter reestablishment. The committee’s website says its work is meant to align participants around the facts and data behind real or perceived safety problems, develop cost-effective solutions rooted in that agreement, and identify regulatory options when needed to put those solutions in place.

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Railroad Safety Advisory Committee reestablishment: new structure and membership

Under the updated setup, the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee is slated to include 25 members drawn from 21 organizations. The Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIOd) welcomed the committee’s return, but it also signaled concern about the smaller roster. In a statement, TTD President Greg Regan and Secretary-Treasurer Shari Semelsberger said a reduced panel could make it harder for the FRA to maintain what they view as a balanced perspective between the powerful rail industry and advocates focused on the safety of workers and communities.

How the new committee compares with the previous RSAC?

Before it was dissolved, the most recent listing for the committee — including members with pending nominations — showed 46 members representing 26 organizations. The panel last met in October 2024.

The committee was disbanded in August 2025 as part of a broader Department of Transportation effort involving advisory bodies (Railway Supply). At the time, a DOT spokesperson said the committees were “long overdue for a refresh” because of inactivity, adding that some had been overtaken by individuals whose sole focus was what the spokesperson called a “radical DEI [diversity, equality, and inclusion] and climate agenda.”

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