Railroad track safety; Railway or tramway track construction material of iron or steel, the following: rails, check-rails and rack rails, switch blades, crossing frogs, point rods and other crossing pieces, sleepers (cross-ties), fish-plates, chairs, chair wedges, sole plates (base plates), rail clips, bedplates, ties and other material specialized for jointing or fixing rails (HS 7302); Quality (ICS 03.120), Test conditions and procedures in general (ICS 19.020), Railway engineering in general (ICS 45.020), Materials and components for railway engineering (ICS 45.040), Rails and railway components (ICS 45.080)

Rail Integrity Amendments & Track Safety Standards (27 page(s), in English)

Notice of proposed rulemaking - FRA is proposing to revise its regulations governing the minimum safety requirements for railroad track. The proposed changes include allowing inspection of rail using continuous rail testing; allowing the use of flange-bearing frogs in crossing diamonds; relaxing the guard check gage limits on heavy-point frogs used in Class 5 track; removing an inspection-method exception for high-density commuter lines; and other miscellaneous revisions. Overall, the proposed revisions would benefit track owners, railroads, and the public by reducing unnecessary costs and incentivizing innovation, while not negatively affecting rail safety.