We are pleased to announce that after plans were submitted and multiple FRA meetings were held, the RailPros training division has successfully received full approval on the entire product offering.
The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 required the DOT Secretary to establish minimum standards for all safety-related employees (49 CFR Part 243). Implementation landed on January 1, 2020 for most larger employers to include Class 1 railroads, Passenger Operators and Training Institutions and/or Learning Organizations (TI/LO). To the surprise of many, this regulation was pushed forward to 2021 for contractors.
RailPros’ internal staff currently train according to our internal approved program, however the external/commercial side of the training business needed to be in compliance by January 1, 2020. Erika Bruhnke, Vice President of Training Services, and her team started working on the required submittals in early 2019. We are pleased to announce that after the plans were submitted and multiple FRA meetings were held, the RailPros training division has successfully received full approval on the entire product offering. This is a huge success for the training team and ensures that RailPros can continue to offer not just the highest quality training in the industry, but an FRA approved training program as well as making RailPros fully compliant with CFR 49 Part 243.
In short, here is what the training team had to accomplish in order to meet this milestone:
Determine who needed the training and what programs required approval.
Match who we needed to train to the required FRA regulation/requirements.
Match the job classifications to the appropriate railroad department for classification.
Develop a course of syllabus that all iterations of training will adhere to.
Build and deliver training as outlined and submitted in the above mentioned syllabi.
We do offer assistance with this regulation as one of our services and are always happy to discuss opportunities further.
RailPros, founded in 2000, employs over 400 professionals providing a full-spectrum of railroad support services including engineering and design, project and construction management, roadway workers in charge (RWIC), inspection, project management, signal services, utility permitting and observation, training, and railroad coordination. RailPros has offices located in California, Texas, and Utah.