US government wants to oversee safety for subways, light rail

According to a draft of the plan to be formally unveiled in coming weeks, the Transportation Department would either enforce safety regulations itself or grant states the option to do so under its guidance and financial assistance.

No cost estimate was provided and Congress would have to approve the proposal.

The administration has concluded that the government's ability to insure transit safety is weak at a time when ridership is increasing and state budgets for maintaining and enforcing their own regulations are tightening.

State agencies responsible for transit safety often have few staff, little expertise, inadequate independence from transit systems they oversee and limited legal authority, federal officials said.

A 1965 law prohibits the federal government from overseeing safety regulations for subways. At the time, there were only a few systems nationwide.