Friday, May 07, 2010 (Washington, DC)

The Federal Railroad Administration has announced proposed rules to amend the Track Safety Standards and Passenger Equipment Safety Standards for high-speed and high cant deficiency train operations to promote safer rail vehicle and track interaction. The proposal, which takes into account the wide range of vehicles used, would revise existing limits for vehicle response to track conditions and add new limits as well. These revisions include: qualification requirements for high-speed and high cant deficiency operations; acceleration and wheel force safety limits; inspection, monitoring, and maintenance requirements; and track geometry limits for high-speed operations. Simultaneously, the proposed rule would establish necessary safety limits for wheel profile and truck equalization, as well as consistent safety requirements for high cant deficiency operations covering all speeds of track classes. The proposed rule is available at http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/Vehicle_Track_Interaction_NPRM_050710.pdf .