---
kind: "section"
citation: "49 U.S.C. § 20168"
title: "49"
title_heading: "Transportation"
number: "20168"
heading: "Installation of audio and image recording devices"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/49/20168"
units:
  - "Subtitle V — Rail Programs"
  - "Part A — Safety"
  - "Chapter 201 — General"
  - "Subchapter II — Particular Aspects of Safety"
---

# §20168. Installation of audio and image recording devices

- (a) **In General.—** Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015, the [Secretary](/usc/49/22401.md?p=14) of Transportation shall promulgate regulations to require each [railroad carrier](/usc/49/20102.md?p=3) that provides regularly scheduled intercity rail passenger or [commuter rail passenger transportation](/usc/49/24102.md?p=3) to the public to install inward- and outward-facing image recording devices in all controlling locomotive cabs and cab car operating compartments in such passenger trains.
- (b) **Device Standards.—** Each inward- and outward-facing image recording device shall—
  - (1) have a minimum 12-hour continuous recording capability;
  - (2) have crash and fire protections for any in-cab image recordings that are stored only within a controlling locomotive cab or cab car operating compartment; and
  - (3) have recordings accessible for review during an accident or incident investigation.
- (c) **Review.—** The [Secretary](/usc/49/22401.md?p=14) shall establish a process to review and approve or disapprove an inward- or outward-facing image recording device for compliance with the standards described in [subsection (b)](#b).
- (d) **Uses.—** A [railroad carrier](/usc/49/20102.md?p=3) subject to the requirements of [subsection (a)](#a) that has installed an inward- or outward-facing image recording device approved under [subsection (c)](#c) may use recordings from that inward- or outward-facing image recording device for the following purposes:
  - (1) Verifying that train crew actions are in accordance with applicable safety laws and the [railroad carrier](/usc/49/20102.md?p=3)’s operating rules and procedures, including a system-wide program for such verification.
  - (2) Assisting in an investigation into the causation of a reportable accident or incident.
  - (3) Documenting a criminal act or monitoring unauthorized occupancy of the controlling locomotive cab or car operating compartment.
  - (4) Other purposes that the [Secretary](/usc/49/22401.md?p=14) considers appropriate.
- (e) **Discretion.—**
  - (1) **In general.—** The [Secretary](/usc/49/22401.md?p=14) may—
    - (A) require in-cab audio recording devices for the purposes described in [subsection (d)](#d); and
    - (B) define in appropriate technical detail the essential features of the devices required under [subparagraph (A)](#e-1-A).
  - (2) **Exemptions.—** The [Secretary](/usc/49/22401.md?p=14) may exempt any [railroad carrier](/usc/49/20102.md?p=3) subject to the requirements of [subsection (a)](#a) or any part of the carrier’s operations from the requirements under [subsection (a)](#a) if the [Secretary](/usc/49/22401.md?p=14) determines that the carrier has implemented an alternative technology or practice that provides an equivalent or greater safety benefit or that is better suited to the risks of the operation.
- (f) **Tampering.—**
  - (1) **In general.—** Except as provided in [paragraph (2)](#f-2), a [railroad carrier](/usc/49/20102.md?p=3) subject to the requirements of [subsection (a)](#a) may take appropriate enforcement or administrative action against any [employee](/usc/49/21101.md?p=3) that tampers with or disables an audio or inward- or outward-facing image recording device installed by the [railroad carrier](/usc/49/20102.md?p=3).
  - (2) **Temporarily obscuring field of view of an image recording device while expressing breast milk.—**
    - (A) **In general.—** For purposes of expressing breast milk, an [employee](/usc/49/21101.md?p=3) may temporarily obscure the field of view of an image recording device required under this section if the passenger train on which such device is installed is not in motion.
    - (B) **Resuming operation.—** The crew of a passenger train on which an image recording device has been obscured pursuant to [subparagraph (A)](#f-2-A) shall ensure that such image recording device is no longer obscured immediately after the [employee](/usc/49/21101.md?p=3) has finished expressing breast milk and before resuming operation of the passenger train.
- (g) **Preservation of Data.—** Each [railroad carrier](/usc/49/20102.md?p=3) subject to the requirements of [subsection (a)](#a) shall preserve recording device data for 1 year after the date of a reportable accident or incident.
- (h) **Information Protections.—** The [Secretary](/usc/49/22401.md?p=14) may not disclose publicly any part of an in-cab audio or image recording or transcript of oral communications by or among [train employees](/usc/49/21101.md?p=5) or other operating [employees](/usc/49/21101.md?p=3) responsible for the movement and direction of the train, or between such operating [employees](/usc/49/21101.md?p=3) and company communication centers, related to an accident or incident investigated by the [Secretary](/usc/49/22401.md?p=14). The [Secretary](/usc/49/22401.md?p=14) may make public any part of a transcript or any written depiction of visual information that the [Secretary](/usc/49/22401.md?p=14) determines is relevant to the accident at the time a majority of the other factual reports on the accident or incident are released to the public.
- (i) **Prohibited Use.—** An in-cab audio or image recording obtained by a [railroad carrier](/usc/49/20102.md?p=3) under this section may not be used to retaliate against an [employee](/usc/49/21101.md?p=3).
- (j) **Savings Clause.—** Nothing in this section may be construed as requiring a [railroad carrier](/usc/49/20102.md?p=3) to cease or restrict operations upon a technical failure of an inward- or outward-facing image recording device or in-cab audio device. Such [railroad carrier](/usc/49/20102.md?p=3) shall repair or replace the failed inward- or outward-facing image recording device as soon as practicable.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 114–94, div. A, title XI, § 11411(a), Dec. 4, 2015, 129 Stat. 1686; amended Pub. L. 117–328, div. KK, § 102(c), Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 6096.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The date of enactment of the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015, referred to in subsec. (a), is the date of enactment of title XI of div. A of Pub. L. 114–94, which was approved Dec. 4, 2015.

### Amendments

2022—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 117–328 designated existing provisions as par. (1) and inserted heading, substituted “Except as provided in paragraph (2), a railroad carrier” for “A railroad carrier”, and added par. (2).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2022 Amendment

Pub. L. 117–328, div. KK, § 103(c), Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 6096, provided that: “The amendments made by section 102(c) [amending this section] shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 29, 2022].”

### Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 1, 2015, see section 1003 of Pub. L. 114–94, set out as an Effective Date of 2015 Amendment note under section 5313 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.