# U.S. Locational Requirement for Dispatching of U.S. Rail Operations
> **Federal Railroad Administration** · Final rule. · Published 2002-12-10 · Effective 2003-01-11 · 67 FR 75938
## Document
- **Document number:** 02-30527
- **Category:** railroad-safety
- **Sub-agency:** Federal Railroad Administration
- **Federal Register citation:** 67 FR 75938
- **CFR reference:** 49 CFR 241
- **Publication date:** 2002-12-10
- **Effective date:** 2003-01-11
- **DOT docket:** FRA Docket No. FRA-2001-8728, Notice No. 3
## Abstract

This Final Rule will supplant an interim Final Rule (IFR) that has been in effect since January 10, 2002, while FRA has gathered comments on whether to permit extraterritorial dispatching (the act of dispatching of a railroad operation that occurs on trackage in the United States by a dispatcher located outside of the United States). Through January 10, 2003, the IFR generally bars extraterritorial dispatching with the following three exceptions: extraterritorial dispatching is permitted in the case of emergencies, but only for the duration of the emergency; extraterritorial dispatching that was normally occurring in December of 1999 is allowed to continue ("grandfathering exception"); and very limited additional extraterritorial dispatching from Canada or Mexico of railroad track in the United States immediately adjacent to the borders is authorized ("fringe border exception"). After considering the comments on the IFR, FRA has determined that while special treatment is appropriate for extraterritorial dispatching that was conducted pursuant to the terms of the IFR, such treatment is better handled through a special waiver process discussed below. Effective January 11, 2003, the Final Rule adds a new regulation that generally requires, in the absence of a waiver, that all dispatching of railroad operations that occur in the United States be performed in the United States, with two minor exceptions. First, a railroad is allowed to conduct extraterritorial dispatching from Mexico or Canada in emergency situations, but only for the duration of the emergency. A railroad relying on the exception must provide prompt written notification of its action to the FRA Regional Administrator of each FRA region in which the railroad operation occurs; such notification is not required before addressing the emergency situation. Second, a railroad that was normally conducting extraterritorial dispatching from Canada or Mexico in accordance with the terms of the IFR may continue to s

## Source
- [Federal Register document](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2002/12/10/02-30527/us-locational-requirement-for-dispatching-of-us-rail-operations)
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