Railroads can skip some safety checks if they report their own close calls

US rail regulators are making it easier for railroads to certify their engineers and conductors. Companies can now bypass certain training and experience rules if they participate in a program that collects anonymous reports of near-miss accidents.

For years, railroads that reported their own safety problems to a confidential system got special waivers from some certification rules. This change makes those waivers permanent. It means regulators are formally trading some upfront safety checks for more data on what actually goes wrong on the tracks.