Qualification and Certification of Locomotive Engineers and Conductors; English Language Proficiency and Other Requirements
Built by the Tribune's code from the Federal Register. No AI wrote this page. Published in the Federal Register July 31, 2026. Document 2026-15605. Updated Nov. 7, 2026.
- What it does
FRA proposes to amend its regulations governing the qualification and certification of locomotive engineers and conductors to establish English language proficiency as a requirement for a railroad carrier to certify and recertify locomotive engineers and conductors. FRA also proposes that each railroad carrier conducting a triennial examination of skill performance, and an annual operational monitoring observation for locomotive engineers, which are current requirements, conduct those examinations and observations without engaging energy management systems that limit the need for a locomotive engineer to operate the throttle or braking systems. Further, FRA proposes to codify limitations on operations at the southern border, including a 10 route-mile geographic limitation, to ensure domestic training, testing, and certification requirements for Mexican crew members are adequate. In addition, FRA proposes changes to clarify that a locomotive engineer or conductor's territorial qualification is limited to the specific direction of travel traversed during the qualification process.
The Federal Railroad Administration's summary, as published in the Federal Register.
- What it would change
2 parts of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations:
- Before this
No earlier Federal Register document under regulation identifier 2130-AD65 since Jan. 1, 2025.
- What happens next and when
Written comments must be received on or before September 29, 2026. FRA will consider comments received after that date to the extent practicable.
The agency's dates, word for word.
Reginfo.gov lists a rule with this regulation identifier as under review at the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs since Nov. 6, 2026 (stage: Final Rule). See it
The record as published
| Document number | 2026-15605 |
|---|---|
| Action | Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). |
| Agencies | Transportation Department; Federal Railroad Administration |
| Published | July 31, 2026 |
| Comments close | Sept. 29, 2026 |
| Regulation identifier (RIN) | 2130-AD65 |
| Docket | FRA-2026-2014 |
Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register