Alaska Railroad among 231 railroads granted longer driving hours for track emergencies

The Alaska Railroad is one of 231 railroads whose truck drivers may stay behind the wheel longer to reach derailments, washouts and other track emergencies, under a federal exemption renewed this week.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's decision, published Wednesday and effective Tuesday, lets drivers headed to a main-track emergency keep driving until the 17th hour after starting work, instead of the usual 14, and add up to six hours to their weekly on-duty limits. They still can't drive more than 11 hours or go more than 300 air miles from their normal work location, and the usual limits apply on the trip back.

Qualifying emergencies are derailments, bridge strikes and collisions on the main track, along with blizzards, rock and mudslides, track washouts, earthquakes and wildfires. The renewal narrows the list to events affecting the main track.

In Alaska, though, the two limits the exemption loosens don't apply. Under separate federal rules, drivers in the state may drive up to 15 hours and keep going until their 20th hour on duty, with weekly caps of 70 or 80 hours. The decision doesn't say whether the Alaska Railroad has used the exemption.

The agency said it doesn't believe the extra hours compromise safety when they're used only occasionally. Drivers must first complete two fatigue-management training modules, railroads must log each use, and crashes must be reported within five business days.

The exemption, first granted in 2020, runs through Oct. 18, 2030, and can be revoked if safety slips or the terms are broken.