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5/13/2026
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently finalized 11 deregulatory rules and deleted more than 1,000 words from the Federal Register to help U.S. railroads modernize practices and bolster safety.
On July 1, 2025, the FRA published a deregulatory package to eliminate redundant and decades-old requirements and codify longstanding federal waivers.
The recent deregulatory actions include:
removing stenciling requirements for freight cars used exclusively for tourist, historic, excursion, educational, recreational or private purposes;
enabling railroads to satisfy accident/incident reporting recordkeeping requirements by electronically posting a listing of all injuries and occupational illnesses;
updating enforcement procedures to allow for electronic service and clarify the 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; and
revising the definition of a non-traversable curb in the FRA’s train horn regulation.
“These critical updates will enhance safety, support our great rail workforce and enable the next wave of innovative technologies on our tracks,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a press release.