Federal Register #FRA-2026-1420

Union Pacific Railroad Company petitions FRA for waiver of compliance regarding locomotive inspections

This opportunity involves a petition submitted by Union Pacific Railroad Company to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), part of the Department of Transportation, seeking a waiver from certain locomotive inspection regulations. - Government Buyer: - Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation - Petitioning Entity: - Union Pacific Railroad Company (UPRR) - Request Details: - UPRR requests relief from the requirement that periodic inspections (every 33 days) on microprocessor-equipped locomotives 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 is intended to improve safety and inspection quality by reducing unnecessary walking and enabling cross-training of employees - Notable Requirements: - No specific products, OEMs, or vendors are mentioned - The FRA is soliciting public comments on the petition - No procurement of goods or services is involved in this notice

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 the daily inspection conducted once every 33 days on microprocessor-equipped locomotives be performed by a QMI. UPRR supports this 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. The FRA is accepting public comments on this petition until November 2, 2026.

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