Remote Control Locomotives Safety Improvement Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill bans railroad companies from running trains outside of rail yards without a certified human engineer physically sitting in the cab of the lead locomotive. This means remote-controlled trains could no longer operate on main lines or any routes outside of switching yards.
• Main line operations specifically require a locomotive engineer certified under federal regulations to be physically inside the cab. Someone certified only as a remote-control operator would not qualify to run these trains.
• The law blocks the Secretary of Transportation from granting waivers to Class I (major) and Class II (mid-size) railroads, as well as any train running on standard-class track or above. This prevents big rail companies from getting special permission to skip the safety requirements.
• The Federal Railroad Administration must audit and inspect all Class I railroads within 180 days, and conduct unscheduled audits of other covered railroads within one year. These inspections are meant to make sure companies are actually following the new rules.
• Railroads that violate the law face steep fines: at least $1 million or 1% of their annual income, whichever is greater, for each day they are out of compliance. For the largest railroads earning billions in revenue, this could mean enormous daily penalties.