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The U.S. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the railroad industry share an interest in improving railroad safety. As part of its mission, the FRA is sponsoring the Confidential Close Call Reporting System Demonstration Project (C3RS Demonstration Project) to demonstrate the effectiveness of a confidential close call reporting system for the railroad industry. This close call reporting system will serve to both capture data that would otherwise not be captured as well as provide railroad carriers (carriers) and FRA with opportunities to identify safety issues that require corrective action. This Model Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) describes the provisions of the C3RS Demonstration Project and explains generally the rights, roles, and responsibilities of the participants under the project.

The purpose of this MOU is to gain full agreement from all parties to cooperate in the C3RS Demonstration Project. Actual implementation of the project involving particular carriers and one or more of their labor organizations will be achieved through separate implementing memorandums of agreement (implementing MOUs) approved by FRA, as specified in section 12. The implementing MOUs will incorporate the various rights and responsibilities set out in this MOU, but will also contain additional provisions tailored to the needs of the participating parties, including how a carrier that is contemplating disciplinary or decertification action against one of its employees is notified that the employee is protected from such action under the implementing MOU.