Federal Register #FRA2026-1420

Union Pacific Railroad Company petition for waiver of compliance with FRA inspection regulations

This notice from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announces a petition by Union Pacific Railroad Company (UPRR) seeking regulatory relief, not a procurement opportunity. - Government buyer: - Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation - Petition details: - UPRR requests a waiver from regulations requiring periodic inspections (every 33 days) of microprocessor-equipped locomotives to be performed by qualified mechanical inspectors (QMIs) as defined in 49 CFR 229.5 - UPRR argues that inspection quality is statistically similar between QMIs and non-QMIs - The waiver aims to improve safety, reduce unnecessary walking, and enable cross-training of employees - No products, OEMs, vendors, or purchase quantities are mentioned - The notice is for public comment and participation, not for procurement or contracting

Description

Union Pacific Railroad Company (UPRR) has petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for relief from certain regulations concerning inspections performed by qualified mechanical inspectors (QMIs). Specifically, UPRR seeks a waiver from the requirement that daily inspections conducted once every 33 days on microprocessor-equipped locomotives be performed by a QMI. UPRR supports its request by stating that data shows no statistical difference in inspection quality between QMIs and non-QMIs, and argues that the waiver would improve safety and inspection quality by reducing additional walking and cross-training employees.

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