Regulatory Relief from Locomotive Horn Sounding Pattern at Public Highway-Rail Grade Crossings
Topic: Administrative Practice and Procedure; Railroad Safety
Agency: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
Action: Final Rule
Title: Regulatory Relief from Locomotive Horn Sounding Pattern at Public Highway-Rail Grade Crossings
Published Date: August 31, 2026
Dates: This rule is effective September 30, 2026
Summary: This final rule amends safety standards related to use of the locomotive horn to provide regulatory relief from the required pattern of sounding the locomotive horn in two long blasts, one short blast, and one long blast for locomotive engineers operating trains, locomotive consists, or individual locomotives that have stopped in close proximity to a public highway-rail grade crossing. This final rule allows locomotive engineers to vary the locomotive horn sounding pattern to one single blast of the horn as they enter the nearby public highway-rail grade crossing.
Staff Advisor: Taria Barron, General Counsel, tbarron@apta.com