Relating to lighting requirements for certain areas under the control of class I or class II railroad corporations

A class III carrier is a carrier earning revenue less than $40,387,772. There are seven class I freight railroad companies in the United States and five operate in Iowa. This bill requires every class I railroad corporation and class II railroad corporation to ensure any location under such corporation’s control where a railroad train is switched, repaired, inspected, loaded, or unloaded is lighted, naturally or artificially, by a safe type of lighting any time a railroad train is switched, repaired, inspected, loaded, or unloaded. Under the bill, a “railroad train” is an engine or locomotive with or without cars coupled thereto, operated upon rails. The bill defines “class I railroad corporation” to mean the same as a class I rail carrier, as defined by the STB, and a “class II railroad corporation” to mean the same as a class II rail carrier, as defined by the STB. The bill requires each applicable railroad corporation to maintain the lighting equipment installed in accordance with the bill. Such artificial lighting equipment is required to provide adequate lighting and minimize light pollution and glare that may affect persons outside of the illuminated area. The railroad corporations must adopt an installation and maintenance schedule and file a report detailing the lighting equipment installation and maintenance schedule adopted by the corporation, the associated costs, and the locations controlled by the corporation that are required to be lighted with the department of transportation no later than December of each year. Each railroad corporation is responsible for all costs associated with the installation and maintenance of the lighting equipment at all required locations under such corporation’s control.5, a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500 per violation.