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The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), part of the Department of Transportation, announced the minimum random drug and alcohol testing rates for certain railroad employees for 2025. The rates will remain the same as in 2024, with covered service and maintenance-of-way employees facing a 25% drug testing rate and a 10% alcohol testing rate. Mechanical employees, who have only been tested since March 2022, will continue with a 50% drug and 25% alcohol testing rate. The FRA sets these rates based on data from the previous two years but may adjust them after evaluating other factors.

In response to a Congressional requirement from the SUPPORT Act, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is proposing a new rule to include mechanical (MECH) employees, who test or inspect railroad equipment, under its alcohol and drug regulations. This proposed rule aims to extend current regulations, initially designed for maintenance-of-way and covered service employees, to MECH employees. FRA believes that enforcing random and pre-employment drug tests could deter substance misuse among MECH employees, thereby enhancing safety. The proposed changes would also include guidelines for small railroads and contractors to ensure compliance and minimize burdens.