Federal Railroad Administration

Stakeholders await new guidance on rail track and brake safety standards

A photograph of a rail yard. There are several lines of trains parked at the yard.

Federal rules revising how rail industry stakeholders should monitor and ensure healthy track infrastructure could be unveiled sometime soon.

The rules on rail integrity amendments and track standards, FRA-2018-0104, are in the clearance process at the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), but there’s no firm date yet for their issuance and publication in the Federal Register, according to sources.

Freight railroads, rail shippers and rail union members have been awaiting the revised rules since

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/stakeholders-await-new-guidance-on-rail-track-and-brake-safety-standards

Feds issue final rule allowing liquefied natural gas by rail

A photograph of tank cars in a rail yard. The tank cars are in lined up left and right.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) are authorizing the bulk transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by rail via a final rule that the agencies issued on Friday.

The rule, which was made in consultation with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), allows for the bulk transportation of LNG using DOT-113 tank cars with enhanced outer tank requirements and additional operational controls.

The issuance of the...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/feds-issue-final-rule-allowing-liquefied-natural-gas-by-rail

FRA to award nearly $300 million to passenger rail projects

A photograph of a train leaving a train station.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) says nearly $300 million is available in grant funding to repair and rehabilitate intercity passenger railroad assets.

Although the freight railroads, including short line railroads, aren’t eligible for funding, they could experience secondary or ancillary benefits because improvements in the passenger rail network could help make the freight rail network more fluid. A freight railroad could also partner with an eligible applicant, such as a state or...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/fra-to-award-nearly-300-million-to-passenger-rail-projects

Rail groups split on Democrats’ infrastructure bill

A photograph on a train with a city landscape behind it.

A number of the railroad-related items listed in the 846-page, $500 billion infrastructure bill introduced by House Democrats this week could face some hot debate as it goes through Congress, judging by the reactions of rail trade groups and rail labor.

The bill, entitled Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST in America), is a five-year, $494 billion surface reauthorization bill unveiled on June 3 by the U.S. House and Transportation &...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/rail-groups-split-on-democrats-infrastructure-bill

Federal Railroad Administration extends temporary safety waivers

A photograph of two railcars.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is extending the length of time that freight and passenger railroads are waived from complying with certain safety regulations, according to recent filings.

In March,  the agency granted the temporary waivers because of the coronavirus pandemic. Freight and passenger railroad trade groups had argued that social distancing makes it difficult to comply with some of the safety regulations, such as those for drug and alcohol testing, training and crew...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/federal-railroad-administration-extends-temporary-safety-waivers

$302 million in federal grants awarded to rail infrastructure projects

A photograph of tank cars crossing a bridge.

Twelve projects in nine states have been awarded more than $302 million in grants to upgrade track and railroad crossings, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced on May 27.

The grants under the Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair program are for capital projects to repair, replace or rehabilitate publicly or Amtrak-owned or -controlled railroad assets, according to FRA. The grants also seek to reduce the repair backlog and improve the performance of intercity...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/302-million-in-federal-grants-awarded-to-rail-infrastructure-projects

U.S. Class I railroads inch towards full positive train control implementation

A photograph of a freight train locomotive.

One-hundred percent of the tracks owned by the U.S. operations of the Class I railroads have completed the advanced field testing of positive train control (PTC), a federally mandated safety technology that must be implemented on all Class I railroads, Amtrak and certain commuter rail lines by December 31 of this year, according to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). 

The advanced field testing stage, known as revenue service demonstration (RSD), is among the last steps to completing the...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/u-s-class-i-railroads-inch-towards-full-positive-train-control-implementation

COVID-19 pandemic threatens positive train control implementation

A photograph of a train traveling by a beach.

The COVID-19 pandemic could hamper freight and passenger railroads’ ability to meet the December 31 deadline on positive train control (PTC) implementation, according to an April 30 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

“Unforeseen issues, in particular the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic, could delay railroads’ implementation and put...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/covid-19-pandemic-threatens-positive-train-control-implementation

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