Legal Status
This site displays a prototype of a “Web 2.0” version of the daily Federal Register. It is not an official legal edition of the Federal Register, and does not replace the official print version or the official electronic version on GPO’s govinfo.gov.
The documents posted on this site are XML renditions of published Federal Register documents. Each document posted on the site includes a link to the corresponding official PDF file on govinfo.gov. This prototype edition of the daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov will remain an unofficial informational resource until the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register (ACFR) issues a regulation granting it official legal status. For complete information about, and access to, our official publications and services, go to About the Federal Register on NARA's archives.gov.
The OFR/GPO partnership is committed to presenting accurate and reliable regulatory information on FederalRegister.gov with the objective of establishing the XML-based Federal Register as an ACFR-sanctioned publication in the future. While every effort has been made to ensure that the material on FederalRegister.gov is accurately displayed, consistent with the official SGML-based PDF version on govinfo.gov, those relying on it for legal research should verify their results against an official edition of the Federal Register. Until the ACFR grants it official status, the XML rendition of the daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov does not provide legal notice to the public or judicial notice to the courts.
Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration was created pursuant to section 3(e)(1) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966 (49 U.S.C. 103).
The purpose of the Administration is to promulgate and enforce rail safety regulations, administer railroad financial assistance programs,
conduct research and development in support of improved railroad safety and national rail transportation policy, provide for the rehabilitation
of Northeast Corridor rail passenger service, and consolidate government support of rail transportation activities.
- Agency URL:
- http://www.fra.dot.gov/
- Parent Agency
- Transportation Department
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Fatigue Risk Management Programs for Certain Passenger and Freight Railroads
Pursuant to the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, FRA proposes to issue regulations requiring certain railroads to develop and implement a Fatigue Risk Management Program, as one component of the railroads' larger railroad safety risk reduction programs.
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Rail Integrity and Track Safety Standards
FRA is revising its regulations governing the minimum safety requirements for railroad track. The changes include allowing inspection of rail using continuous rail testing; allowing the use of flange-bearing frogs in crossing diamonds; relaxing the guard check gage limits on heavy-point frogs used in Class 5 track; removing an inspection-method...
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Risk Reduction Program
FRA is issuing this final rule to require each Class I freight railroad and each freight railroad with inadequate safety performance to develop and implement a Risk Reduction Program (RRP) to improve the safety of its operations. RRP is a comprehensive, system-oriented approach to safety that determines a railroad operation's level of risk by...
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Rail Integrity Amendments & Track Safety Standards
FRA is proposing to revise its regulations governing the minimum safety requirements for railroad track. The proposed changes include allowing inspection of rail using continuous rail testing; allowing the use of flange-bearing frogs in crossing diamonds; relaxing the guard check gage limits on heavy-point frogs used in Class 5 track; removing...
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Locomotive Image and Audio Recording Devices for Passenger Trains
FRA is proposing to require the installation of inward- and outward-facing locomotive image recording devices on all lead locomotives in passenger trains, and that these devices record while a lead locomotive is in motion and retain the data in a crashworthy memory module. FRA also proposes to treat locomotive-mounted recording devices on...
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Amendments to Brake System Safety Standards Governing Operations Using an Electronic Air Brake Slip System
FRA proposes to amend its brake system safety standards to address operations using an electronic air brake slip (eABS) system, which is a system that tracks details related to individual freight car brake tests. The proposed rule would provide an alternative regulatory framework for railroads to utilize when choosing to use an eABS system, but...
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Revisions to Civil Penalty Amounts
In accordance with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, this final rule provides the 2020 inflation adjustment to civil penalty amounts that may be imposed for violations of certain DOT regulations. In additional, this final rule makes conforming revisions to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration...
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Control of Alcohol and Drug Use: Coverage of Mechanical Employees and Miscellaneous Amendments
In response to a Congressional mandate in the Substance Use- Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act), FRA is proposing to expand the scope of its alcohol and drug regulation to cover mechanical (MECH) employees who test or inspect railroad rolling equipment. FRA is also...
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Establishment of an Emergency Relief Docket for Calendar Year 2021
This Notice announces the establishment of FRA's emergency relief docket (ERD) for calendar year 2021. The designated ERD for calendar year 2021 is docket number FRA-2021-0001.
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Adjustment of Nationwide Significant Risk Threshold
FRA is updating the Nationwide Significant Risk Threshold (NSRT) for purposes of FRA's regulation on the Use of Locomotive Horns at Public Highway-Rail Grade Crossings. This action is needed to ensure the public has the proper permissible risk threshold to evaluate risk resulting from prohibiting routine locomotive horn sounding at highway- rail...
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Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice announces that FRA is forwarding the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the information collection and its expected burden. On October 5, 2020, FRA published a notice providing a...
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Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted 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.
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Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, this notice announces that FRA is forwarding the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the information collection and its expected burden. On October 16, 2020,...