§ 54-a. Communication. 1. No class 1 or class 2 railroad common carrier or rail passenger carrier shall perform or cause to be performed any transportation service without ensuring that there is operable communication among all members of the train crew, between the train crew and crews of other trains, and between the train crew and wayside personnel.

2. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a train from continuing to its destination in the event of a failure of the communication equipment after departure from its point of origin.

3. The commissioner of transportation shall review the state of the art of railroad transportation communication from time to time and shall conduct periodic inspections of the rail carriers subject to this section to ensure compliance with the provisions of this section.