Brake System Safety Standards for Freight and Other Non-Passenger Trains and Equipment; End-of-Train Devices

On January 17, 2001, FRA published a final rule revising the regulations governing braking systems and equipment used in freight and other non-passenger railroad train operations. In response to the final rule, FRA received a petition for reconsideration from the Association of American Railroads (AAR) seeking reconsideration of, among other things, a requirement that, if the person conducting the test of the two-way end-of-train device on a train is someone other than a train crew member, the locomotive engineer of the train must be notified of the name of the person conducting the test and a record must be maintained, in the cab of the controlling locomotive, containing the name of the person conducting the test. In order to allow FRA an opportunity to respond to this petition prior to the compliance date of the provision in question, this document delays the compliance date for this specific requirement from May 31, 2001, to a future date to be specified in FRA's response to the petition for reconsideration if the petition is not granted. This action also makes a conforming amendment to the rule text to reflect this change.