Data / Federal rules / 2024-24559
Positive Train Control Systems
The Federal Railroad Administration published this proposed rule in the Federal Register on October 28, 2024. Comments closed on December 27, 2024.
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What the agency says
FRA is proposing to amend certain regulations governing positive train control (PTC) systems. Since December 31, 2020, by law, PTC systems have generally governed rail operations on PTC-mandated main lines, which encompass nearly 59,000 route miles today. Through FRA's oversight and continued engagement with the industry, FRA has found that its existing PTC regulations do not adequately address temporary situations during which PTC technology is not enabled, including after certain initialization failures or in cases where a PTC system needs to be temporarily disabled to facilitate repair, maintenance, infrastructure upgrades, or capital projects. FRA expects PTC systems to be reliable and robust, further reducing the occurrence of initialization failures and outages. This NPRM proposes to establish strict parameters and operating restrictions under which railroads may continue to operate safely in certain necessary scenarios when PTC technology is temporarily not governing rail operations. The purpose of this NPRM is to enable continued, safe operations and improve rail safety by facilitating prompt repairs, upgrades, and restoration of PTC system service.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2024-24559
- Type
- Proposed rule
- Action
- Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)
- Agency
- Transportation Department; Federal Railroad Administration
- Published
- October 28, 2024
- Comments due
- December 27, 2024
- Dates
- Written comments must be received by December 27, 2024. FRA believes a 60-day comment period is appropriate to allow the public to comment on this proposed rule. FRA will consider comments received after that date to the extent practicable.
- Docket
- Docket No. FRA-2023-0064
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 2130-AC95
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 49 CFR 236
- Topics
- Penalties; Railroad safety; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements
- Pages
- 26
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Everything from the Federal Railroad Administration · Rules on penalties · Rules on railroad safety · Rules on reporting and recordkeeping requirements · Published in October 2024
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