Railroads

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how fines are enforced or consequences for non-payment of fines.

Railroad Crossing Safety Act

This bill sets rules for railroad companies to prevent trains from blocking important crossings for more than 30 minutes and imposes fines if they break these rules.

What This Bill Does

• It stops railroad companies from letting trains block a crossing for more than 30 consecutive minutes if the crossing is needed for primary access to hospitals, residential neighborhoods, or occupied residences based on vehicle traffic counts.
• The bill allows the transportation commissioner to fine railroad companies up to $1,000 per violation after providing notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
• If a company breaks the rule again within 18 months at the same place, they can be fined up to $3,000.
• Money from fines must be allocated: 15% to the state's transportation department for administrative costs of this bill; and 85% to local areas for improving railroad crossings on county roads or municipal streets.

Who It Names or Affects

• Railroad companies must follow new rules about blocking crossings.
• Local governments receive money from fines to improve roads near railroad tracks.
• People who live in areas with important rail crossings will see fewer delays and better safety.

Terms To Know

Civil Penalty

A fine that a company or person has to pay for breaking the law.

Railroad Crossing

The place where a road crosses over or under train tracks.

Limits and Unknowns

• It is not clear how many violations will occur and how much money will be collected from fines.
• This law only applies to crossings that are very important for daily travel or emergency access based on vehicle traffic counts.

Official Summary Text

This bill prohibits

a
railroad company controlling the movement of a railroad train, car, engine, or other equipment
from
permit
ting
the train, car, engine, or other equipment to obstruct or cause the obstruction of a railroad crossing for a period in excess of 30 consecutive minutes if the railroad crossing provides the primary ingress and egress to and from a hospital, residential n
eighborhood, or occupied residence based on vehicle traffic counts.

PENALTIES

This bill authorizes

t
he commissioner of transportation, after providing notice and opportunity for a hearing,
to
impose a civil penalty of $1,000 per violation against the railroad company.

If a second or subsequent violation occurs at the same railroad crossing a second or subsequent time within
18
months from the date of the first occurrence,
then
the commissioner may impose, after providing notice and opportunity for a hearing, a civil penalty up to $3,000 upon the railroad company.

This bill requires all
civil penalties collected by the commissioner pursuant to this
bill to
be allocated as follows:



15% must be retained by the department of transportation for costs of administration
of this bill.


85% must be distributed to the county or municipality in which the violation occurred and used solely for railroad crossing projects on county roads or municipal streets within the county or municipality, as applicable.

This bill clarifies that a
railroad company is not immune from any civil liability that may be imposed or incurred for bodily injury to, or the death of, a person as a result of the person being transported in an ambulance or other emergency services vehicle that is blocked or obst
ructed at a railroad crossing in violation of
this bill.

APPLICABILITY

This bill applies to
violations occurring on or after July 1, 2026
.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 1830
By Mitchell

SENATE BILL 2625
By Campbell
SB2625
011148
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39;
Title 40; Title 54 and Title 65, relative to railroads.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 65, Chapter 11, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) As used in this section, "railroad crossing" means any location where a public
street or highway is crossed by, or intersects with, a railroad track or line.
(b) A railroad company controlling the movement of a railroad train, car, engine,
or other equipment shall not permit the train, car, engine, or other equipment to obstruct
or cause the obstruction of a railroad crossing for a period in excess of thirty (30)
consecutive minutes if the railroad crossing provides the primary ingress and egress to
and from a hospital, residential neighborhood, or occupied residence based on vehicle
traffic counts.
(c)
(1) The commissioner of transportation may, after providing notice and
opportunity for a hearing under the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act,
compiled in title 4, chapter 5, impose a civil penalty of one thousand dollars
($1,000) per violation against the railroad company.
(2) If a second or subsequent violation of subsection (b) occurs at the
same railroad crossing a second or subsequent time within eighteen (18) months
from the date of the first occurrence, the commissioner may impose, after
providing notice and opportunity for a hearing under the Uniform Administrative

- 2 - 011148

Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5, a civil penalty up to three thousand
dollars ($3,000) upon the railroad company.
(d) All civil penalties collected by the commissioner pursuant to this section must
be allocated as follows:
(1) Fifteen percent (15%) must be retained by the department of
transportation for costs of administration of this section; and
(2) Eighty-five percent (85%) must be distributed to the county or
municipality in which the violation of subsection (b) occurred and used solely for
railroad crossing projects on county roads or municipal streets within the county
or municipality, as applicable.
(e) A railroad company is not immune from any civil liability that may be imposed
or incurred for bodily injury to, or the death of, a person as a result of the person being
transported in an ambulance or other emergency services vehicle that is blocked or
obstructed at a railroad crossing in violation of subsection (b).
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it, and
applies to violations occurring on or after that date.