🚆Notice on Special Approval Petition for Brake Maintenance Standards
This document provides the public notice that the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) petitioned FRA for relief from certain regulations concerning brake equipment maintenance requirements of multiple unit (MU) locomotives.
Learn More🚄CMTY's Request to Amend Positive Train Control Safety Plan
This document provides the public with notice that, on August 7, 2025, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CMTY) submitted a request for amendment (RFA) to its FRA-Approved Positive Train Control Safety Plan (PTCSP). As this RFA may involve a request for FRA's approval of proposed material modifications to an FRA-certified positive train control (PTC) system, FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on the railroad's RFA to its PTCSP.
Learn More🚧Proposed Information Collection Activities by Federal Railroad Administration
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information Collection Request (ICR) summarized below. Before submitting this ICR to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified in the ICR.
Learn More🚆FRA Withdraws Accident Investigation Regulation, Affects Compliance Costs
FRA is withdrawing the direct final rule titled "Federal Railroad Administration Accident/Incident Investigation Policy for Gathering Information and Consulting with Stakeholders," (the Rule) which was published on October 1, 2024.
Learn More🚆Administrative Updates on Locomotive Cab Safety Regulations
This rule makes administrative updates to FRA's locomotive cab occupational safety and health regulations, including updating addresses in those regulations.
Learn More🚂Proposed Rule for Locomotive Horn Sounding Flexibility
This proposed rule would provide greater flexibility for compliance with FRA's train horn regulation. Specifically, this proposed rule would allow for regulatory relief from the required pattern of sounding the locomotive horn in two long blasts, one short blast, and one long blast where trains, locomotive consists, and individual locomotives have stopped in close proximity to a public highway-rail grade crossing location. This proposed rule would instead allow locomotive engineers to vary the pattern of sounding the locomotive horn to only one single blast of the horn as they enter onto and cross over these grade crossing locations.
Learn More🚂Proposed Changes to Conductor Certification Regulations by FRA
This proposed rule would update FRA's conductor certification requirements by reducing the information that is required on a conductor's certificate and allowing certificates to be electronic. FRA is also proposing changes to the certification revocation process and the Administrative Hearing Officer (AHO) process. Lastly, FRA is proposing other administrative updates including revising definitions and correcting errors in the regulatory text.
Learn More🚂New Proposed Rule on Railroad Horn Usage at Passenger Stations
FRA proposes to amend its safety standards related to the use of the locomotive horn to clarify that no Federal regulation requires a railroad to sound a locomotive horn because of the presence of a passenger station. The proposed rule would clarify that a railroad has discretion to determine policies for sounding a locomotive horn at a passenger station through railroad operating rules. The proposed rule would also provide that if a railroad decides to sound a locomotive horn at a passenger station, the minimum sound level requirements in FRA's Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards would not apply to the sound produced by the horn.
Learn More🚂Proposed Rule on Enforcement Discretion by the FRA
This proposed rule would clarify that FRA's Office of the Chief Counsel has discretion to decline or dismiss a violation, such as a technical violation where challenged conduct does not raise a practical safety issue.
Learn More🚧Proposed Rule on Bridge Load Capacity Evaluation Requirements
FRA proposes to eliminate the Federal requirement that defines the process a track owner must follow when scheduling the evaluation of bridges with no load capacity determination. The requirement was intended as a transitional measure to phase in compliance after the bridge safety regulations became effective. The restrictions on the track owner's discretion to determine the process for evaluation of bridge load capacity are no longer necessary because the regulations have been in effect for almost fifteen years and the transitional period for compliance has ended.
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