FRA gives notice on Rule Making for Passenger Equipment Safety Standard

[jis]

FRA is starting up a new activity to carry out some significant reorganization of regulations related to Passenger Equipment Safety Standard. The document is worth reading, not just to read FRA say that we have not made any significant changes to the safety regulations that were put in place in early 20th Century! I was surprised to learn for example, that the locomotive body safety standard is based on those for Steam Engines with variances applied for Diesels and Electrics!

In addition to rationalizing the way Tiers I, II and III are presented so as to cross reference them better and make them more intelligible (their own words), they are also proposing to add a Tier IV for high speed and special purpose lines that do not have any operations commingled with Tier I/II/III operation and operate separate from any such. Presumably your favorite Monorail and Maglev System would be handled through this.

Anyway, the proposal is some 65 pages or so. You can take a gander at it at:

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Passenger Equipment Safety Standards; Standards for High-Speed Trainsets | FRA

railroads.dot.gov

I would recommend that you download the PDF and read it using a proper PDF reader than trying to do so in the funky FRA web page.

 

[tgstubbs1]

The document is worth reading, not just to read FRA say that we have not made any significant changes to the safety regulations that were put in place in early 20th Century! I was surprised to learn for example, that the locomotive body safety standard is based on those for Steam Engines with variances applied for Diesels and Electrics!

I agree it seems kind of shocking. Maybe a good thing for the older trains still in service for tourists?

Ok, I took a gander, but after a while I was hoping there is a Cliff's Notes version somewhere. Maybe with pictures?

 

[jis]

I agree it seems kind of shocking. Maybe a good thing for the older trains still in service for tourists?

Ok, I took a gander, but after a while I was hoping there is a Cliff's Notes version somewhere. Maybe with pictures?

Yes, texts in regulations can be dry and boring. I am a bit inoculated against such having worked half my professional career on International Standards. Afterall IEEE and ISO standards are tantamount to regulations since they are used by reference in many regulations.