1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to railroads; modifying requirements for railway walkways; amending 
1.3 	Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 219.501, subdivision 1.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 219.501, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.6 		Subdivision 1.Duty to provide walkways. (a) Rail carriers must provide walkways 
1.7 	adjacent to those portions of yard tracks where rail carrier employees frequently work on 
1.8 	the ground performing switching activities. For purposes of this section, "frequently 
1.9 	work" means at least five days per week, one shift per day.
1.10 	(b) This section applies to reconstruction and new construction of yard track 
1.11 	completed after July 1, 2008.
1.12 	(c) This section applies to main and secondary track switches and turnouts, 
1.13 	walkways at siding track, train inspection points, walkways by tracks where train crews 
1.14 	frequently board or leave trains en route, walkways by industry track turnouts and spotting 
1.15 	areas, and walkways by main track within two miles in opposite directions of a trackside 
1.16 	train defect detector, with a total walkway of not less than 500 feet on both sides of track. 
1.17 	A walkway by a switch stand may have a wider apron from the base of the switch stand 
1.18 	area. A walkway must not be constructed so as to impede drainage of water, snow, or 
1.19 	ice from mainline ballast or other structure. This paragraph applies to track repaired, 
1.20 	resurfaced, or replaced after July 1, 2010, or as set forth in section 219.51, subdivision 4.
1.21 	(c) (d) This section does not apply to an entity that owns or operates track in this 
1.22 	state other than class one and class two rail carriers as classified by the Federal Railroad 
1.23 	Administration.