Enhancing Railroad Discretion in Sounding Locomotive Horns at Passenger Stations
Topic: Administrative Practice and Procedure; Railroad Safety
Agency: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
Action: Final Rule
Title: Enhancing Railroad Discretion in Sounding Locomotive Horns at Passenger Stations
Published Date: August 31, 2026
Dates: This rule is effective September 30, 2026
Summary: This final rule amends safety standards related to the use of the locomotive horn to clarify that no Federal regulation requires a railroad to sound a locomotive horn because of the presence of a passenger station. The final rule clarifies that a railroad has discretion to determine policies for sounding a locomotive horn at a passenger station through railroad operating rules. The final rule also provides that if a railroad decides to sound a locomotive horn at a passenger station, the minimum sound level requirements in FRA’s Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards do not apply to the sound produced by the horn.
Staff Advisor: Taria Barron, General Counsel, tbarron@apta.com