Secure Tracks Act

Key Points

• Railroads must have a qualified human inspector visually check all main line tracks rated Class 3 or higher at least twice per week, with at least one calendar day between inspections. This keeps human eyes on tracks where trains run at moderate to high speeds.
• When any inspector or machine finds a safety defect, the railroad must fix it, protect it, or pull the track out of service immediately. The qualified human inspector has sole authority to authorize train movements on out-of-service track, preventing companies from rushing repairs.
• The bill sets mandatory schedules for automated Track Geometry Measurement Systems based on track class and tonnage. Higher-class and heavier-use tracks must be scanned more frequently — up to twice within every 30-day period for the fastest Class 9 tracks.
• The Department of Transportation is banned from granting waivers that would let railroads replace human inspections with technology if the alternative method cannot detect all the same safety defects. This ensures machines supplement — not replace — human inspectors.
• The bill is bipartisan, introduced by Sens. Baldwin (D-WI) and Hawley (R-MO), and has been referred to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. Within one year of enactment, the Secretary of Transportation must update federal regulations to implement the new automated inspection requirements.