---
kind: "section"
citation: "49 U.S.C. § 20131"
title: "49"
title_heading: "Transportation"
number: "20131"
heading: "Restricted access to rolling equipment"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/49/20131"
units:
  - "Subtitle V — Rail Programs"
  - "Part A — Safety"
  - "Chapter 201 — General"
  - "Subchapter II — Particular Aspects of Safety"
---

# §20131. Restricted access to rolling equipment


The [Secretary](/usc/49/22401.md?p=14) of Transportation shall prescribe regulations and issue orders that may be necessary to require that when [railroad carrier](/usc/49/20102.md?p=3) [employees](/usc/49/21101.md?p=3) (except train or yard crews) assigned to inspect, test, repair, or service rolling equipment have to work on, under, or between that equipment, every manually operated switch, including each crossover switch, providing access to the track on which the equipment is located is lined against movement to that track and secured by an effective locking device that can be removed only by the class or craft of [employees](/usc/49/21101.md?p=3) performing the inspection, testing, repair, or service.


## Source credit

(Pub. L. 103–272, § 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 872.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 20131 | 45:431(g) (1st sentence cl. (1)). | Oct. 16, 1970, Pub. L. 91–458, 84 Stat. 971, § 202(g) (1st sentence cl. (1)); added July 8, 1976, Pub. L. 94–348, § 5(b), 90 Stat. 820. |

The words “within 180 days after July 8, 1976” are omitted as expired.