How Does a Government Shutdown Impact the Offices Members Rely On?

For the fourth time in less than 10 years, the federal government has shut down.

With the lights turned off and the partisan bickering continuing in Washington, working families are trying to get a sense of what’s still open and how their lives will be impacted until the government is up and running again.  

Railroad Retirement Board Remains Open

While Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) offices remain open and are expected to still accept new claims for unemployment and sickness benefits and new applications for retirement, survivor, and disability annuities, the agency is an outlier in terms of business as usual. 

Regulators and Mediators are Mostly Closed

Apart from emergency situations, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), National Mediation Board (NMB), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Surface Transportation Board (STB) are closed, with the FRA furloughing 23% of its staff.

According to the Department of Transportation, the FRA’s Office of Railroad Safety, which investigates accidents and inspects railroad equipment, will stay open.   

Transit Running on Schedule…For Now

Passenger rail, such as Amtrak, will continue running. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is expected to stay open and operate as usual.

While the same is true for transit agencies in cities across the country, those that are facing funding shortfalls may be forced to alter their operations or close entirely.

SMART News will continue to keep you updated on any changes to these plans for the duration of the shutdown. If you see any effects of the shutdown on our members or the services we rely on, please let SMART News know about it. We want to use that information to help all our brothers and sisters navigate this complicated situation.