This Act may be cited as the “Passenger Train Safety Act”.

(a) Federal Railroad Administration requirements.—Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration shall carry out the following:

(1) Complete a study on how signage can be used to improve safety in the rail industry that includes—

(A) a review of how signs used for other modes of transportation may be effectively used in the rail industry;

(B) a review of how signs used in the railroad industry differ; and

(C) an analysis of whether a uniform system for speed signs across the entire railroad industry would benefit the railroad industry and improve safety.

(2) Reevaluate existing seat securement mechanisms and their susceptibility to inadvertent rotation, to identify a means to prevent the failure of these devices to maintain seat securement.

(3) Conduct research to evaluate the causes of passenger injuries in passenger railcar derailments and evaluate potential methods for mitigating such injuries.

(4) For research specified by the National Transportation Safety Board in safety recommendation R–16–35 that identifies safety improvements, use the findings to develop occupant protection standards for passenger railcars that will mitigate passenger injuries likely to occur during derailments and overturns.

(b) Requirements for Amtrak.—Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, Amtrak shall—

(1) ensure operating crewmembers demonstrate proficiency on the physical characteristics of a territory by using all resources available to them, including—

(A) in-cab instruments, signage, signals, and landmarks;

(B) under daylight and nighttime conditions; and

(C) using observation rides, throttle time, and written examinations;

(2) revise classroom and road training programs to ensure that operating crews fully understand all locomotive operating characteristics, alarms, and the appropriate response to abnormal conditions;

(3) require that all engineers undergo simulator training before operating new or unfamiliar equipment (at a minimum, experience and respond properly to all alarms), and when possible, undergo simulator training before operating in revenue service in a new territory and experience normal and abnormal conditions on that territory;

(4) implement a formal, systematic approach to developing training and qualification programs to identify the most effective strategies for preparing crewmembers to safely operate new equipment on new territories;

(5) complete a comprehensive assessment of the territories to ensure that necessary wayside signs and plaques are identified, highly noticeable, and strategically located to provide operating crews the information needed to safely operate their trains;

(6) conduct training that specifies and reinforces how each crewmember, including those who have not received their certifications or qualifications, may be used as a resource to assist in establishing and maintaining safe train operations;

(7) update the safety review process to ensure that all operating documents are up to date and accurate before initiating new or revised revenue operations;

(8) incorporate all prerevenue service planning, construction, and route verification work into the scope of your corporate-wide system safety plan, including your rules and policies, risk assessment analyses, safety assurances, and safety promotions;

(9) conduct risk assessments on all new or upgraded services that occur on Amtrak-owned territory, host railroads, or in States that own infrastructure over which you operate; and

(10) develop policies for the safe use of child safety seats to prevent uncontrolled or unexpected movements in passenger trains and provide customers with guidance for securing these child safety seats.

Section 20168 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

Section 20157 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

(a) Section 11406 of the FAST Act (Public Law 114–94) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a) by striking “survey its entire system” and inserting “survey its entire system and any other infrastructure over which such railroad carrier operates”;

(2) by redesignating subsections (d), (e), and (f) as subsections (e), (f), and (g), respectively;

(3) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:

“(d) Periodic reviews and updates.—Each railroad carrier described under subsection (a) shall—

“(1) annually review the speed limit action plans to ensure the effectiveness of actions taken to enable warning and enforcement of the maximum authorized speed for passenger trains at each location identified under subsection (b)(1); and

“(2) not later than 90 days prior to implementing any operational or territorial operating changes, such as initiating new service or routes, submit to the Secretary a revised action plan that addresses such operational or territorial operating changes.”; and

(4) in subsection (c) by inserting “or subsection (d)(2)” after “subsection (b)”.

Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Federal Railroad Administration and Amtrak shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the progress of the implementation of the safety recommendations described in section 3, including a description of all completed elements of the implementation.