Railroad Yardmaster Protection Act of 2025

The Railroad Yardmaster Protection Act of 2025 proposes to extend federal duty hour limitations to encompass railroad yardmaster employees . It achieves this by amending specific sections of title 49, United States Code, which currently regulate the work hours of train employees, to integrate yardmasters into these crucial safety provisions. The legislation modifies section 21103 to explicitly apply duty hour restrictions to yardmaster employees, ensuring they are subject to the same fatigue prevention measures as other operational rail personnel. Additionally, it introduces a formal definition for a "yardmaster employee" as an individual responsible for supervising and coordinating the control of trains and engines within a rail yard. These amendments are designed to bolster overall rail safety by mitigating the risks associated with fatigue among personnel vital to complex rail yard operations.