Federal Railroad Administration October 24, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FRA is proposing to revise its regulations governing the minimum safety requirements for railroad track. The proposed changes would require all Class I and II railroads, as well as intercity passenger railroads and commuter railroads, to operate a qualifying Track Geometry Measurement System (TGMS), a type of automated track inspection (ATI) technology, at specified frequencies on all Class 1 through 5 mainline and controlled siding track that transports: annual tonnage greater than 10 million gross tons (MGT); regularly scheduled passenger rail service; or trains containing hazardous materials. FRA also proposes increasing the required frequency of TGMS inspections on Class 6 track.

This document provides the public with notice that, on October 11, 2024, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) submitted a request for amendment (RFA) to its FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plan (PTCSP) to install Construction Zone (CZ) Transponders to reconfigure its positive train control (PTC) system on the South Side Middleboro Main Line (MML) at the Pilgrim Interlocking at Milepost (MP) 34.86 to its final configuration in order to interface with the adjacent new South Coast Rail (SCR) Lines. The CZ will result in the suspension of portions of the PTC system on the MML from December 1, 2024, to December 15, 2024. As this RFA involves a request for FRA's approval of proposed material modifications to an FRA- certified PTC system, FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on MBTA's RFA to its PTC system.