Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards and Event Recorders

The Locomotive Inspection Act requires railroads to inspect, repair, and maintain locomotives and event recorders so that they are safe, free from defects, and can be placed in service without peril to life. Crashworthy locomotive event recorders provide FRA with verifiable factual information about how trains are maintained and operated, and will be used by FRA and State inspectors for Part 229 rule enforcement. This collection of information is mandatory, and affects Class I, Class II, Class III, and passenger and commuter railroads operating on the general system of transportation in the United States. The required information is collected daily, quarterly, annually, and on occasion. Information collected includes both reporting and record keeping information, data about locomotives not complying with the requirements of this Part, data about remote control locomotives, accident reports, locomotive daily inspection and repair records, written reports about Multiple Unit (MU) locomotives, and readout information from locomotive event recorders. FRA uses the information collected to monitor and enforce the requirements of this Part, particularly to monitor the daily operations of trains and ensure that locomotives placed in service are safe to operate and undergo the required daily, periodic, and annual inspections. The information collected is also used by railroads and train crews to monitor train handling and improve safety on an ongoing basis.

The latest form for Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards and Event Recorders expires 2021-12-31 and can be found here.