Railroad Regulation represents one of the original areas of responsibility assigned to the State Corporation Commission when it was created by the Virginia Constitution of 1902. Today, the Railroad Regulation section works in concert with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to ensure safe operations of railroads within the Commonwealth.

Railroad Regulation investigates citizen complaints regarding the blocking of rail crossings, conducts accident investigations, inspects railroad tracks and bridges to promote safe movement of freight and passengers throughout the state, and inspects rail cars and locomotives to ensure compliance with FRA standards.

Oversight includes two Class I (major) railroads, nine Class II (short line) railroads, and more than 6,700 miles of track in Virginia.

Statutory authority for Railroad Regulation is outlined in Title 56, Chapter 13, of the Code of Virginia. The Virginia Administrative Code also contains regulations regarding railroad issues.

• Use the Railroad Complaint form to provide information required to initiate an investigation:
  • Railroad Complaint - Microsoft Word Format
  • Railroad Complaint - Fillable Portable Document Format (Adobe PDF)
    This form can be navigated using the tab, arrow, and enter keys to be completed and printed from your computer.

Related links & resources include the following:

• Federal Railroad Administration
• Surface Transportation Board
• The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
• Virginia Railroad Association
• Operation Lifesaver