The Railroad Commission of Texas no longer has any jurisdiction or authority over railroads in Texas, a duty which was transferred to other agencies, with the last of the rail functions transferred to the Texas Department of Transportation in 2005.



When the Railroad Commission of Texas was created in 1891, the agency was charged with oversight of the rail industry. Over the course of history, the Railroad Commission of Texas’ duties have evolved and all rail functions have been transferred to other agencies. Legislation has been introduced to change the name of our agency to better reflect our current jurisdiction, but to date such legislation has not been passed.

Railroad Resources:

Rail Safety Program Hotline: 1-512-416-2376.

Rail Safety Inspection Program - TxDOT rail safety investigators conduct safety inspections of railroad facilities and equipment. They also monitor compliance with both state and federally-mandated safety regulations in the areas of hazardous materials, operating practices, motive power and equipment, signal and train control, and track.



Railroad Crossing Information Management - The Texas Railroad Information Management System (TRIMS) is a railroad crossing information system that expands access to inventory information; increases the accuracy of data, facilitates coordination among TxDOT, the public and stakeholders; and improves safety at railroad crossings through improved information and decision-making tools.

Railroad Construction and Maintenance Agreements - TxDOT routinely enters into construction and maintenance (C&M) agreements with railroad companies, which provide TxDOT license and permission to perform work within railroad right of way. A separate Contractor Right-of-Entry agreement will then be executed between the contractor and railroad company to allow the contractor onto railroad right of way.

Rail Planning - The Rail Division oversees rail planning, management of the South Orient Railroad and rail public transit safety. The division has the authority to implement rail improvements by entering into public-private partnership agreements.





