WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor Ch. 742

the railroad tracks are insulated in a manner that prevents them
from shunting the current and activating the railroad signal
devices; and

WHEREAS, Railroad personnel may not be adequately alerted
when Maintenance of Way motorized railroad track equipment
occupies the track; and

WHEREAS, There is a corresponding concern that if
Maintenance of Way track equipment and motorized vehicles were
equipped with shunting capability, and if track maintenance was
being performed near a grade crossing, the grade crossing signals
may have to be manually disengaged by the Maintenance of Way
personnel; and

WHEREAS, If grade crossing signals were manually disengaged,
Maintenance of Way personnel may forget to reengage them and
thereby create substantial risks to motorists at these grade
crossings; and

WHEREAS, The health and safety of Maintenance of Way
personnel must be considered as well as the health and safety of
motorists at grade crossings; and

WHEREAS, There are no current federal regulations that
require Maintenance of Way motorized railroad track equipment and
rail mobile vehicles to activate the railroad signals which alert
railroad personnel of the presence of railroad cars on the track;
now, therefore,

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That:

(a)  The Department of Licensing and Regulation, State
Railroad Administration Division of Labor and Industry shall
adopt the necessary regulations to require Maintenance of Way
motorized railroad track equipment and rail mobile vehicles to
activate the railroad signals which alert railroad personnel of

the presence of cars on the track thoroughly study and

investigate the serious issues relating to the safety of a
railroad Maintenance of Way personnel and the usefulness of
equipping Maintenance of Way motorized railroad track equipment
and rail mobile vehicles with shunting devices.

(b)  The Department of Licensing and Regulation, State
Railroad Administration Division of Labor and Industry shall
study and investigate this issue and report its progress in
developing the regulations solutions to this problem to the
Legislative Policy Committee General Assembly by December 1, 1989
December 31, 1990.

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