D-BLOC Act

This bill would bar railroad carriers from stopping trains in a way that blocks a public road-rail crossing for more than 10 minutes, with exceptions such as accidents, track obstructions, required safety actions, trains inside rail yards or sidings, derailments, and acts of God. If a crossing has 3 or more reported over-limit blockages on at least 3 days within 30 days, the Secretary of Transportation would notify the railroad, investigate the causes, and look at ways to reduce blockages, and the railroad would have to keep records on that crossing. The Secretary could issue civil penalties for violations starting 60 days after the notice, except where no grade-separated alternate route exists within a half mile or a funded grade separation project is planned. The bill would also make the federal blocked crossing reporting portal permanent, require large railroads to link to it on their websites, and require railroads to verify blocked crossing reports within 14 days and enter confirmed ones into the portal. It would not apply to Amtrak or commuter railroads.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Sylvia R. Garcia Democrat sponsor
• 4 cosponsors