Federal Register #2026-23024

FRA safety guidance on lithium-ion battery hazards in passenger railcars

The Federal Railroad Administration issued passenger-rail safety guidance on lithium-ion battery hazards, rather than a procurement solicitation. - Government agency: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), within the U.S. Department of Transportation. - Research cited: Underwriters Laboratories Fire Safety Research Institute (UL FSRI) testing found that battery thermal runaway can rapidly produce extreme heat, toxic gases, and visibility loss in passenger railcars. - FRA recommends reviewing the UL FSRI research; updating fire-safety analyses, emergency plans, and employee training; restricting device storage at or under seats; prohibiting lithium-ion-powered devices in the forward- and rear-most cars; and prohibiting onboard charging during passenger operations. - No products, services, quantities, or part numbers are requested. No OEMs or commercial vendors are identified.

Description

The Federal Railroad Administration is issuing Safety Advisory 2026-02 to alert passenger railroads to hazards from advanced-chemistry batteries, including lithium-ion batteries in electric micromobility vehicles carried aboard passenger railcars. Full-scale testing found that battery thermal runaway can rapidly create extreme heat, toxic gases, and loss of visibility. The advisory recommends operational, training, and emergency-planning mitigations, including updating fire safety analyses and emergency plans, restricting storage locations, and prohibiting onboard charging.

View original listing