C3RS — Identifying Safety Risks in Railroad Operations

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Close Calls Demonstration Project

A voluntary, confidential demonstration program for railroad carriers and their employees to report close calls without receiving disciplinary action:
  • Accepts close calls reports
  • Stores confidential data
  • Analyzes close calls
  • Distributes reports on safety trends and corrective actions to participating organizations and FRA
  • Tracks carrier reports on corrective actions to measure system impact on safety
  • Evaluates and identifies ways to improve reporting system effectiveness
  • First demonstration site operational in February 2007

Who is Involved in C3RS?

  • FRA — sponsors and oversees the demonstration program
  • Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Volpe Center — independent third parties; manage demonstration implementation and protect data confidentiality
  • Railroad carriers — implement the reporting system
  • Carrier employees — report close calls
  • Labor organizations — represent employees reporting close calls
  • Peer Review Team (PRT) — stakeholder representatives: oversees corrective action

Photo of 1996 Amtrak train wreck in Silver Spring, Maryland

A 1997 NTSB report of the 1996 collision and derailment of MARC Train 286 and Amtrak Train 29 near Silver Spring, Maryland, cited several close calls preceding the crash.

Railroads can reduce risks before an accident by studying close calls.

IMPORTANT!
C3RS is accepting close call reports only from UP North Platte Service Unit and CP Chicago Service Unit Area Road Territory.

Carriers
Are you eligible for the C3RS Demonstration Project?

Find out more.


To initiate a close call report, call C3RS at (866) 683-9265 or (888) LOV-C3RS

U.S. Department of TransportationSponsored by the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration

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