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1 1 (March 4, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/govegky0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Informing the legislative debate since 1914 Updated March 4, 2022 Locomotive Idling, Air Quality, and Blocked Crossings When a train is not moving but its engines are running, it can present risks and disruptions for the surrounding community. Locomotives emit fuel exhaust that degrades air quality and generates noise and vibrations. If the idling train is stopped at a highway-rail grade crossing, local road transportation could be significantly impacted, especially if the nearest open railroad crossing is not close by. This could create serious conditions if first responders are unable to reach emergencies on the other side of the tracks. Why Do Locomoves d- e? Train engines generate thousands of horsepower and take an hour or more to warm up before they can start pulling rail cars. This is one reason there is reluctance to turn them off. Also, particularly relevant for a locomotive attached to a train, the brakes on the cars in the train do not work without power. The locomotive must run to keep the air pressure brakes on a train applied (the equivalent of keeping a car in park). In temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the engine has to be kept warm for engine fluids to work properly, as antifreeze cannot be used in locomotive engines. Engines are also kept running to provide air conditioning or heat for the crew, which may be aboard even if the train is idling in a yard. Why Do Trains Block Crossings? When trains are moving at different speeds or in opposite directions along a single-track rail line, one train will usually have to wait on a side track or on the nearest two- track segment until the other train has passed; if a road crosses these tracks, the crossing will be obstructed until it is safe for the train to proceed. In many cases, these waits are planned and meant to be brief, but unforeseen delays due to an oncoming or passing train can mean a stationary train must remain in one place for an extended period. Railroad crews, bound by hours-of-service limits, may not be permitted to move the train, which then must wait until a fresh crew can relieve them. Railroads try to schedule crew changes in convenient locations, but service disruptions occasionally make this impossible, forcing trains to stop midway through a journey. Train stoppages are also sometimes caused by mechanical failures. Once a train has been idle for over four hours, or if any cars were removed or added while stopped, regulations require crew to perform an air brake test prior to proceeding to the next destination, a process that can take several minutes. Freight trains can reach lengths of two miles, meaning it can take several minutes to completely pass a crossing even when rail traffic is moving. Where equipped, warning lights or gates will engage some time before a train reaches a crossing and will remain engaged for some time after a train has passed, somewhat prolonging the traffic obstruction. Selected Recent Blocked Crossing Incidents There are no national statistics on the frequency or severity of blocked crossings, but recent incidents have received media coverage: * November 2021: a Norfolk Southern train blocked several crossings in the West End neighborhood of Birmingham, AL, for six days for unspecified reasons. * June 2018: a Canadian National Railway (CN) train broke down in the town of Barrington, IL, blocking all four railroad crossings in the town for nearly an hour. Ambulances transporting victims of a highway collision were delayed in reaching the hospital. (Their injuries were non-life-threatening.) * April 2017: Senator Charles Schumer and then-Ulster County Executive Michael Hein called on CSX to resolve issues of trains idling at crossings in Kingston, NY, which cuts off certain businesses from the rest of the city entirely if they are located on dead-end streets. Possible Responses to Locomotive Idling Technology to Reduce Idling NoiselErmissions The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority to regulate locomotive engine noise under the Noise Control Act (42 U.S.C. §4916) and limit emissions under the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. §7547). In a 2008 rulemaking (73 Federal Register 37096), EPA set stricter emissions requirements for locomotive engines built or remanufactured after 2012. It also required new locomotives to be equipped with an automatic engine start/stop system (AESS) that will shut down the engine after 30 minutes of idling. A second device, called an auxiliary power unit (APU), is a small engine that can keep the locomotive's main engine warm, the batteries charged, and the brakes applied and therefore allow the main engine to be turned off without endangering the crew or the equipment. An AESS can be programmed to trigger an APU automatically, without requiring a rail worker to activate the locomotive on/off switch. EPA opted not to require the use of APUs in the 2008 rulemaking. However, the emission cap regulations offer a fairly strong incentive to install them (40 C.F.R. 92.132(a)(4)). EPA does not have authority under the Clean Air Act to require APUs or AESSs to be installed on existing locomotives. To require railroads to install idle reduction equipment on all existing locomotives, which typically have service lives of 40 years, it would be necessary to either enact freestanding legislation or amend the Clean Air Act.

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