
New Regulations Require Railroads to Perform Better and More Frequent Inspections of Continuous Welded Rail Track Joints
WASHINGTON – Potentially serious train derailments may be averted as a result of a new federal regulation designed to improve how railroads conduct safety inspections of the joints that connect sections of track made of continuous welded rail (CWR), Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman announced. “More frequent and more detailed inspections will help identify problems early and prevent hazardous situations from developing,” Boardman said. Unlike conventional track that has short sections of rail bolted together, CWR consists of long ribbons of rail that may extend for a mile or more between joints. Inspections of CWR joints are expected to