The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently finalized 11 deregulatory rules and deleted more than 1,000 words from the Federal Register “to help American rail operators unleash innovation, modernize practices, and bolster safety for workers and passengers.”
On July 1, 2025, FRA published a deregulatory package to eliminate “redundant and decades-old” requirements and codify longstanding FRA Safety Board waivers. FRA recently finalized the first 11 of those rules “to improve rail operations, remove inefficiencies and cost savings, without compromising rail safety.”
These deregulatory actions include:
- “Removing stenciling requirements for railroad freight cars used exclusively for tourist, historic, excursion, educational, recreational, or private purposes.
- “Allowing railroads to satisfy accident/incident reporting recordkeeping requirements by posting electronically a listing of all injuries and occupational illnesses at an establishment.
- “Updating enforcement procedures to allow for electronic service and clarify FRA’s enforcement discretion.
- “Codifying longstanding waivers that have granted relief from certain locomotive engineer and conductor certification requirements for railroads that participate in the FRA-sponsored Confidential Close Call Reporting System program.
- “Codifying longstanding waivers by revising the definition of a non-traversable curb in FRA’s train horn regulation, making it possible when a curb is installed to allow highway speeds up to 45 mph.”