The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a final rule Nov. 20 it says helps to support a new era in public transportation with the establishment of safety standards for high-speed trains.
The final rule defines a new category of high-speed rail operations, known as Tier III, and makes it possible for high-speed rail to utilize existing infrastructure, saving the expense of building new rail lines. FRA says Tier III passenger trains can operate over shared track at conventional speeds and as fast as 220 mph in areas with exclusive rights-of-way and without grade crossings.
“These new regulations were made possible by a wealth of FRA research, reinforcing our unwavering commitment to safety,” FRA Administrator Ronald L. Batory said. “FRA’s safety experts solicited input from industry stakeholders at numerous levels and took those ideas to develop standards supporting a new era in public transportation.
FRA says the final rule establishes modern, performance-based safety standards for railroad passenger equipment and represents one of the most significant enhancements to the nation’s passenger rail design standards in a century.
The final rule also establishes minimum safety standards for Tier III trains, focusing on core, structural and critical system design criteria. FRA estimates that the rule will improve safety because of expected improvements made by the railroads to accommodate the operation of high-speed rail equipment in shared rights-of-way.
While final rules are often regarded as regulations, FRA says this rule actually qualifies as a deregulatory action under Executive Order (EO) 13771, “Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs,” and is expected to save more than $475 million in net regulatory costs.
Passenger train manufacturers across the globe have utilized innovative design and testing techniques for years, incorporating features such as crash energy management. FRA explains that under its previous passenger equipment regulations, U.S. rail companies have had limited procurement options or have needed to petition FRA for waivers to use these newer technologies.
The final rule continues to define Tier I as trains operating in shared rights-of-way at speeds up to 125 mph, and it also allows state-of-the-art, alternative designs for equipment operating at these conventional speeds. Tier II trains are defined as those traveling between 125-160 mph, an increase from the previous 150 mph limit. This supports a competitive operating environment for U.S. companies seeking to offer travelers more passenger rail options. By enabling the use of advanced equipment-safety technologies, this final rule helps eliminate the need for waivers.
The final rule was developed with the assistance of the Engineering Task Force (ETF), under the auspices of FRA’s Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC). The ETF membership included FRA technical staff and representatives from railroads, rail labor organizations, manufacturers and others. The ETF evaluated production trends against the U.S. operating environment. The ETF recommended that FRA expand its traditional speed-and-safety rating system to three categories of passenger trains.
