Federal Register #FRA-2025-0128

FRA Final Rule on Locomotive Horn Use at Passenger Stations

This final rule from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), under the Department of Transportation, addresses safety standards for locomotive horn use at passenger stations. - Government Buyer: - Department of Transportation (DOT) - Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) - No Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) or vendors are mentioned or implicated in this rule. - No products or services are being requested or procured. - Key Details: - The rule clarifies that there is no federal requirement for railroads to sound a locomotive horn solely because a passenger station is present. - Railroads have discretion to set their own policies for horn use at passenger stations through their operating rules. - If a railroad chooses to sound a horn at a passenger station, the minimum sound level requirements in FRA's Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards do not apply at that location. - The rule provides regulatory relief and flexibility for railroads, rather than mandating procurement or technical changes.

Description

This final rule amends safety standards related to the use of the locomotive horn to clarify that no Federal regulation requires a railroad to sound a locomotive horn because of the presence of a passenger station. It clarifies that a railroad has discretion to determine policies for sounding a locomotive horn at a passenger station through railroad operating rules. If a railroad decides to sound a locomotive horn at a passenger station, the minimum sound level requirements in FRA's Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards do not apply to the sound produced by the horn. The rule is effective September 30, 2026, and aims to provide regulatory relief and clarity regarding locomotive horn use at passenger stations.

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