Most trains must run with at least two crew members

Freight trains can now stretch more than three miles, and some carry hazardous chemicals. This federal rule says most trains must have at least two crew members on board, so one person isn’t left alone to run the train, watch for trouble, and respond if something goes wrong. Class I freight railroads that want to run a train with one person must first submit a risk assessment, get special approval from the Federal Railroad Administration, and report on safety every year. Some small railroads and limited kinds of service can keep or start one-person crews if they notify the agency and meet safety conditions.

Workers don’t need to do anything to be covered. Union contracts at the major railroads had required two-person crews for about 30 years, but contracts can be renegotiated. The rule makes two-person crews a federal safety standard.

The agency had dropped a similar plan in 2019, and a federal court later threw out that withdrawal. After the 2023 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Federal Railroad Administrator Amit Bose issued this rule, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced it in April 2024. More than 13,000 people commented in support, while 64 opposed it. The railroad industry sued. In August 2026, a federal appeals court upheld the rule, and the railroads have asked the full court to hear the case again.