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. The revisions were intended to achieve safety by better adapting the regulations to the needs of contemporary railroad operations and facilitating the use of advanced technologies. The revisions were issued in order to comply with Federal legislation, to respond to petitions for rulemaking, and to address areas of concern derived from experience in the application of existing standards governing these operations. In this document, FRA responds to the concerns and issues raised by interested parties related to the periodic maintenance and testing requirements contained in subpart D of the final rule. This document clarifies and amends the final rule, where necessary, in response to the petitions for reconsideration related to subpart D of the final rule. FRA intends to respond to petitions for reconsideration of other portions of the final rule in a separate document that will be published in the Federal Register in the near future.