Biden-Harris Administration Sets New Standards for Public Transit Safety Training

The Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to ensuring public transportation remains the safest mode of surface travel by solidifying training requirements for officials overseeing rail transit operations at both transit and state agencies. Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced a final rule that enhances its Public Transportation Safety Certification Training Program. These updates preserve a consistent safety training curriculum and establish minimum standards for rail transit and state safety personnel, further strengthening the training framework for safety professionals.

The certification training program establishes essential requirements for safety professionals within rail transit agencies and those responsible for oversight at State Safety Oversight Agencies. These program updates are the culmination of months of dedicated effort by Biden-Harris Administration leaders and are in response to feedback from key stakeholders, including transit agencies.

In the first significant update to the safety certification training program regulation since 2018, the FTA has enhanced the recertification process and refined communication procedures to better manage the program. These revisions introduce greater curriculum flexibility to accommodate the evolving training needs of the industry. Additionally, the updated rule simplifies administrative requirements, ensuring that all necessary personnel receive the required training.

This update builds on the 2018 Public Transportation Safety Certification Training Program rule, which established a standardized curriculum for safety oversight training and set minimum requirements to improve the technical expertise of those conducting safety audits and examinations.