According to a press release from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the agency has made the following recommendations to the Federal Railroad Administration:

“Establish uniform signal aspects that railroads must use to authorize a train to enter an occupied block, and prohibit the use of these aspects for any other signal indication. (R-09-1)

Study the different signal systems for trains, identify ways to communicate more uniformly the meaning of signal aspects across all railroad territories, and require the railroads to implement as many uniform signal meanings as possible. (R-09-2)

Require that emergency exits on new and remanufactured locomotive cabs provide for rapid egress by cab occupants and rapid entry by emergency responders. (R-09-3)”

The complete recommendation letter is available on the Web athttp://www.ntsb.gov/recs/letters/2009/R09_1_3.pdf.