Data / Federal rules / 2026-17783
Regulatory Relief From Locomotive Horn Sounding Pattern at Public Highway-Rail Grade Crossings
The Federal Railroad Administration published this final rule in the Federal Register on August 31, 2026. It took effect on September 30, 2026.
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What the agency says
This final rule amends safety standards related to use of the locomotive horn to provide regulatory relief from the required pattern of sounding the locomotive horn in two long blasts, one short blast, and one long blast for locomotive engineers operating trains, locomotive consists, or individual locomotives that have stopped in close proximity to a public highway-rail grade crossing. This final rule allows locomotive engineers to vary the locomotive horn sounding pattern to one single blast of the horn as they enter the nearby public highway-rail grade crossing.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2026-17783
- Type
- Final rule
- Action
- Final rule
- Agency
- Transportation Department; Federal Railroad Administration
- Published
- August 31, 2026
- Takes effect
- September 30, 2026
- Dates
- This rule is effective September 30, 2026.
- Docket
- Docket No. FRA-2025-0121
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 2130-AD39
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 49 CFR 222
- Topics
- Administrative practice and procedure; Railroad safety
- Pages
- 4
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| Document | Type | Published |
|---|---|---|
| National Environmental Policy Act Regulations 2026-17904 · significant | Final rule | Sep 1 |
| Permitting Use of Computer-Based, Three-Dimensional Simulation for Periodic Refresher Training on Brake Systems 2026-17792 | Final rule | Aug 31 |
| Miscellaneous Amendments to FRA's Accident Reporting Regulations 2026-17791 | Final rule | Aug 31 |
| Retiring Form FRA F 6180.107 and Form FRA F 6180.150 2026-17790 | Final rule | Aug 31 |
| Repealing Outdated Railroad Workplace Safety Requirements and Making Other Improvements 2026-17789 | Final rule | Aug 31 |
| Expanding Certain Locomotive Wheel Set Diameter Variations 2026-17788 | Final rule | Aug 31 |
| Repealing Special Approval Requirement for Freight Cars More Than 50 Years Old 2026-17787 | Final rule | Aug 31 |
| Enhancing Railroad Discretion in Sounding Locomotive Horns at Passenger Stations 2026-17786 | Final rule | Aug 31 |
Everything from the Federal Railroad Administration · Rules on administrative practice and procedure · Rules on railroad safety · Published in August 2026
Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.