FRA finalizes 11 deregulatory rules and deleted more than 1,000 words from the Federal                                                                                         Register that do not enhance safety

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today finalized 11 deregulatory rules and deleted more than 1,000 words from the Federal Register to help American rail operators unleash innovation, modernizing practices, and bolster safety for workers and passengers. This is the Department’s latest step to advance the Trump Administration's agenda to root out waste from the federal government.

“We can’t build big, beautiful infrastructure that will serve Americans for generations if our industries are burdened by outdated regulations that stifle innovation and ignore the latest safety practices,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “These critical updates will enhance safety, support our great rail workforce, and enable the next wave of innovative technologies on our tracks.”

“We can only usher in a Golden Age of Rail that Secretary Duffy and President Trump have promised if we can empower our rail operators with commonsense regulations to deliver a stronger, safer rail system,” said FRA Administrator David Fink.  

Additional Information:

On July 1, 2025, FRA published a deregulatory package to eliminate redundant and decades-old requirements and codify longstanding FRA Safety Board waivers. Today, FRA finalizes the first 11 of those rules to improve rail operations, remove inefficiencies and cost savings, without compromising rail safety.

These deregulatory actions include:

●    Removing stenciling requirements for railroad freight cars used exclusively for tourist, historic, excursion, educational, recreational, or private purposes.  
●    Allowing railroads to satisfy accident/incident reporting recordkeeping requirements by posting electronically a listing of all injuries and occupational illnesses at an establishment.  
●    Updating enforcement procedures to allow for electronic service and clarify FRA’s enforcement discretion. 
●    Codifying longstanding waivers that have granted relief from certain locomotive engineer and conductor certification requirements for railroads that participate in the FRA-sponsored Confidential Close Call Reporting System program. 
●    Codifying longstanding waivers by revising the definition of a non-traversable curb in FRA’s train horn regulation, making it possible when a curb is installed to allow highway speeds up to 45 mph.  

More information related to these final rules is available at www.regulations.gov.

                                                              ###