Melvin Smith, Executive Staff Director, Office of Outreach Programs and Engagement

TRMTC Mid-year Meeting – Santa Fe, New Mexico

14 January 2026

RAIL

MOVING AMERICA FORWARD

TRMTC Requests

• Introduction to FRA Safety Programs
• Introduction to FRA Safety Training
• Travel Funding
• Railroad Safety Data
• Moving forward?

2

Railroad 101 Course

• Steam Town- Scranton, PA or TTC-Pueblo, CO
• TTC-Pueblo, CO
• Future Meeting Site near a railroad facility

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Intro/Visit FRA Technical Training

• TTC at Pueblo, CO

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Ride-A-Longs

• Memorandum of Understanding
• Coordination with Field Disciplines

Participating with FRA

3

Locations:

• Steam Town – Scranton, Pennsylvania
• Transportation Technology Center (TTC), Pueblo, Colorado
• Site TBD with Tribal Conference or Meeting

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Other option:

• Conduct Railroad 101 at a Future Meeting Location

Railroad 101

4

• 3-day Course (Can be condensed to 1 or 2 days)
• Classroom & Hands-on
• Class Size 10-20 pax
• Location: Steam Town, TTC or Site TBD
• Timeframe: 3rd Qtr. FY26 or 4th Qtr. FY26
• Optional – Hands-on/tour at local railroad

Railroad 101 Course

5

• Majority of training conducted at TTC
• 2 or 3 Days in duration
• Classroom and Hands-on
• PPE is required for Hands-on
• Lodging in Pueblo, Colorado
• Visit led by TTSD Staff

Intro/Visit to FRA Technical Training Training

6

• Possible under certain circumstances
• Planned in advance
• Observations only and no participation
• Host Railroad Notification
• Memorandum of Understanding
• Limitations will be observed

Ride-A-Longs

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• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
• Liability Clause (FRA & Railroad)
• Roles of Inspectors
• Roles of Guests (TRMTC)
• Do’s and Don’ts
• Safety Requirements

Considerations

8

Alabama

Arizona

California

Colorado*

District of Columbia

Florida

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts*

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

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Participating States

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

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1. Arkansas
2. Connecticut
3. Delaware
4. Georgia
5. Kansas
6. Kentucky
7. Louisiana
8. Michigan
9. Oklahoma
10. South Dakota
11. Utah
12. Wisconsin
13. Wyoming
14. Rhode Island
15. Vermont
16. Alaska

Non-Participating States

10

• Need list of participants for Railroad 101 Course
• List of participants for TTC Visit
• Drafting Memorandum of Understanding
• Seeking Travel Funding thru Various Grants
• Need Tribal Assistance in Recruiting States Participation

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Moving Forward

11

• FRA Grants Procedures provided
• Suggest applying for grants for multiple years (2+)
• Number of Participants & Names
• Travel Costs Estimates
• Participants’ Availability

Travel Funding

12

Costs to be covered by Grants:

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• Travel Costs to attend Railroad 101
• Travel Costs for visits to TTC at Pueblo, Colorado
• Travel Costs for Tribal RSAC Member to attend in-person meetings
• Estimate $2500 per person for each trip

Potential Grant Applications

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13

• CRISI Factsheet: https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot.gov/files/2021-12/CRISI%20Grants%20fact%20sheet.pdf

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• CRISI Workforce Development: https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot.gov/files/2022-09/CRISI%20Workforce%20fact%20sheet.pdf

CRISI Grants Information

14

Presentation by RDI (Lindsay Peters-Dawson):

• Railroad Train Accidents
• Railroad Employee Casualties
• Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Accidents
• Railroad Safety Inspections

FRA Safety Data

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16

Melvin Smith

Phone: 972-839-2650

Email: melvin.smith@dot.gov

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Safety & Inspection Data

Lindsay Peters-Dawson

Phone: 202-440-3024

Email: lindsay.petersdawsondot.gov

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Grant Information

Jennifer Stewart

Email: jennifer.stewart@dot.gov

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Contact Us

Federal Railroad Administration

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20590