Action
Final rule; response to petitions for reconsideration.
Summary
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. On August 1, 2001, FRA published an initial response to petitions for reconsideration of the final rule which addressed the issues and concerns raised in the petitions related to the periodic maintenance requirements contained in subpart D of the final rule. In this document, FRA responds to the concerns of various interested parties raised in their petitions for reconsideration of the final rule that pertain to the remaining portions of the final rule. This document clarifies and amends the final rule, where necessary, in response to the petitions for reconsideration.