FRA Crew Management & Fatigue Rules 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under FRA Hours of Service rules, which category of railroad employee is subject to the 12-hour on-duty limit?
- Signal employees only
- Train employees and dispatching service employees (Correct answer)
- Dispatching service employees only
- All railroad employees including maintenance-of-way workers
Correct answer: Train employees and dispatching service employees
Both train employees and dispatching service employees are subject to the 12-hour on-duty limit under 49 CFR Part 228.
Question 2: A dispatching service employee who works 12 hours must receive a mandatory rest period of at least how many consecutive hours off duty?
- 8 hours (Correct answer)
- 10 hours
- 12 hours
- 16 hours
Correct answer: 8 hours
Dispatching service employees must receive at least 8 consecutive hours off duty after reaching the 12-hour limit, unlike train employees who require 10 hours.
Question 3: Under FRA fatigue management rules, which of the following is a required element of a railroad's fatigue management plan?
- Monthly fatigue surveys of all employees
- Education and training on managing fatigue (Correct answer)
- Mandatory nap rooms at every terminal
- Biometric monitoring of all crew members
Correct answer: Education and training on managing fatigue
FRA requires that fatigue management plans include education and training programs to help employees recognize and manage fatigue.
Question 4: What is the maximum on-duty period for a signal employee under FRA Hours of Service regulations?
- 10 hours
- 12 hours (Correct answer)
- 16 hours
- No federal limit applies
Correct answer: 12 hours
Signal employees are also subject to the 12-hour maximum on-duty period under 49 CFR Part 228.
Question 5: A train employee's 'on-duty' period begins when?
- When the locomotive departs the terminal
- When the employee reports for duty as required by the carrier (Correct answer)
- When the employee physically boards the locomotive
- When the employee clocks in at the timekeeping system
Correct answer: When the employee reports for duty as required by the carrier
On-duty time begins the moment an employee reports for duty as required or requested by the carrier, not when train movement starts.
Question 6: Which of the following scenarios would result in an FRA Hours of Service violation?
- A train employee works 11 hours and receives 10 hours off
- A dispatcher works 12 hours and receives 9 hours off (Correct answer)
- A train employee works 10 hours on consecutive days totaling 58 hours in 7 days
- A signal employee works 12 hours and receives 8 hours off
Correct answer: A dispatcher works 12 hours and receives 9 hours off
A dispatcher who works 12 hours must receive at least 8 hours off; receiving only 9 hours would comply, but 9 hours is fine — working 12 and receiving only 7 would violate the rule; in this scenario 9 hours is compliant, but if the dispatcher received only 7 hours it would be a violation.
Question 7: Under FRA rules, what happens to the 60-hours-in-7-days cap when a railroad declares that a 'period of emergency' exists?
- It is waived entirely for the duration of the emergency
- It is extended to 72 hours for the emergency period (Correct answer)
- It remains unchanged but enforcement is deferred
- FRA must approve an exception in writing before work can continue
Correct answer: It is extended to 72 hours for the emergency period
During a declared emergency period, the 7-day limit is extended from 60 hours to 72 hours to allow for emergency restoration work.
FRA Crew Management & Fatigue Rules 3
Under FRA Hours of Service rules, which category of railroad employee is subject to the 12-hour on-duty limit?