(a) Each railroad that receives special approval to use an operation with a one-person train crew under this subpart shall prepare an annual report, which will be a formal review and analysis each calendar year, of the one-person train crew operation. The annual report, which will include a railroad's findings and conclusions from its review, shall be submitted no later than March 31 of the following year to [email protected]. The requirements in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section describe the components of a railroad's annual report.

(b) A railroad's annual report must include the safety data and information listed in paragraphs (b)(1) and (2) of this section for any one-person train crew operation that receives special approval under this subpart.

(1) The total number of:

(i) FRA-reportable accidents/incidents under part 225 of this chapter, including subtotals for accidents/incidents that occurred at a highway-rail grade crossing and those that did not occur at a highway-rail grade crossing, and subtotals by State and cause. If an accident/incident was FRA-reportable for more than one reason (e.g., the accident/incident occurred at a highway-rail grade crossing and resulted in rail equipment damages higher than the current reporting threshold), the accident/incident shall only be listed once in the total calculation;

(ii) FRA-reportable employee fatalities;

(iii) FRA-reportable employee injuries;

(iv) Trespasser fatalities at a highway-rail grade crossing;

(v) Trespasser injuries at a highway-rail grade crossing;

(vi) Passenger fatalities at a highway-rail grade crossing;

(vii) Passenger injuries at a highway-rail grade crossing;

(viii) Instances where a railroad employee did not comply with a railroad rule or practice applicable to the one-person train crew operation receiving special approval under this subpart but not applicable to train crew operations with two or more crewmembers that travel on the train;

(ix) Instances where a one-person train crewmember had a locomotive engineer or conductor certification revoked for violation of an operating rule or practice that occurred when the person was operating a one-person train crew operation receiving special approval under this subpart. In addition to the total number of these instances, the railroad must report the subtotals for each type of certification revoked;

(x) Accountable rail equipment accidents/incidents under part 225 of this chapter;

(xi) Instances when the railroad was required to comply with an operating rule to ensure rail employees can take mitigation measures that provide a level of safety that is as safe or safer than a two-person train crew operation to address certain situations with the one-person train crew operation under § 218.131(b)(13);

(xii) Instances when a dispatcher, operator, or other required employee unexpectedly lost communication with the one-person train crew operation receiving special approval under this subpart;

(xiii) Employee hours worked; and

(xiv) Train miles.

(2) For each instance counted in the totals reported in paragraphs (b)(1)(i) through (xii) of this section, a railroad's annual report must clearly identify each instance by date and location and provide a complete factual description of the event.

(c) The annual report must also include written confirmation that the risk assessment for operations receiving special approval under this subpart, including all calculations and assumptions, remains unchanged and that no technology changes have been implemented or new or additional hazards identified.

(1) If any risk assessment calculation or assumption changes for an operation receiving special approval under this subpart, a new or updated risk assessment meeting the requirements of § 218.133 must be prepared and submitted with the railroad's annual report. This annual reporting requirement does not negate the requirement to submit a new or updated risk assessment when making a material modification to an operation as required in § 218.135.

(2) Any new or updated risk assessment submitted in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section must include a written plan and schedule for implementing any mitigations required to address any newly identified hazards.

(d) FRA will review and respond to a railroad's annual report submission in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section by September 30 of the year it is submitted.

(1) FRA's response may include advice or recommendations; and

(2) For a one-person train crew operation receiving special approval under this subpart, FRA may reopen consideration of a petition under § 218.135 based on a finding that a railroad's annual report submission suggests that the petition does not comply with the requirements of this subpart or that the operation is no longer as safe or safer than a two-person train crew operation.