Public Review of Draft Documents
APTA invites all stakeholders to review and comment on draft documents in development. The APTA Standards Development Program publishes documents through a consensus-based process and the public review period is a critical part of the development process.
The current review period starts on December 4, and ends on January 29.
Commenting Instructions
View the latest set of documents in development by APTA’s working groups. Reviewers may submit comments as often as they like during the review period. Start your review today!
- Reviewers should scroll down to the bottom of this page
- Select the name of the document to review more details, download or provide a comment
- Select Document Actions to “Add a Comment”
- Comments are accepted from APTA members or nonmembers
- Reviewers should contact Standards@apta.com if you experience any problems with providing your inputs
- For additional guidance download this Step-by-Step Guide.
| Title | Category | Working Group | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Submit comments here (APTA account required): Emergency Communication Strategies for Transit Agencies | Security and Emergency Management | Security and Emergency Management Working Group | This document establishes a standard for transit agencies to follow to effectively communicate with their employees, the public, first responders, government agencies, the media and other members of the community during emergencies. |
| Submit comments here (APTA account required): Recognizing and Responding to Unattended and Suspicious Packages, Objects and Baggage | Security and Emergency Management | Security and Emergency Management Working Group | This recommended practice provides broad guidelines for recognizing and responding to unattended packages, objects and baggage. |
| Submit comments here (APTA account required): Cybersecurity Requirements for Operational Technology Procurement | Security and Emergency Management | Transit Cybersecurity Working Group | This white paper discusses the ways a mass transit and passenger rail operator and its vendors can collaborate to reduce cybersecurity risk when implementing new technology or augmenting existing systems. The approach was designed by the North American Transportation Cybersecurity Consortium. |
| Submit comments here (APTA account required): Diesel–Electric Passenger Locomotive Dynamic Brake Control |
Commuter, Intercity and High Speed Rail Standards (PRESS) |
Electrical Working Group | This recommended practice provides a common design basis for the control and configuration of dynamic brake systems for diesel–electric passenger locomotives. |
| Submit comments here (APTA account required): Storage Batteries and Battery Compartments | Commuter, Intercity and High Speed Rail Standards (PRESS) | Electrical Working Group | This recommended practice for capacity rating for storage batteries in passenger rail car service sets up uniform qualification procedures and criteria for use in such service. It also covers the design of the battery connections and battery compartments. Design chemistries covered in this recommended practice are limited to vented Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), vented lead acid, and valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) varieties. |
| Submit comments here (APTA account required): Head End Power Load Testing | Commuter, Intercity and High Speed Rail Standards (PRESS) | Electrical Working Group | This recommended practice provides guidance for load testing the head end power (HEP) generating system on passenger rail vehicles. |
| Submit comments here (APTA account required): Diesel–Electric Passenger Locomotive Blended Brake Control | Commuter, Intercity and High Speed Rail Standards (PRESS) | Electrical Working Group | This recommended practice provides a common design basis for the control and configuration of blended brake systems. It does not address the design and functionality of dynamic braking circuits as such, nor the protective features required by the dynamic braking function. |
| Submit comments here (APTA account required): Head End Power Source Characteristics | Commuter, Intercity and High Speed Rail Standards (PRESS) | Electrical Working Group | This recommended practice defines the characteristics necessary on new equipment for head end power (HEP) sources, including diesel-driven alternators, inverters and utility-supplied wayside power. The HEP source is composed of power source, switchgear, control system (incorporating trainline complete functions) and connections to vehicle HEP trainline(s). |
| Submit comments here (APTA account required): 480 Vac Head End Power System | Commuter, Intercity and High Speed Rail Standards (PRESS) | Electrical Working Group | This document defines the recommended practices for a head end power (HEP) system, including hardware component functional requirements, transmission, power distribution and load properties for use on locomotive-hauled passenger vehicles. Single bus and split bus forms are described to accommodate intercity and commuter-type operations. |
| Submit comments here (APTA account required): 27-Point Control and Communication Trainlines for Locomotives, Locomotive-Hauled Equipment and DMUs | Commuter, Intercity and High Speed Rail Standards (PRESS) | Electrical Working Group | This document defines recommended practices for 27-point MU control and communication trainlines, including functional hardware and interfaces on the vehicles with circuit functions, for use on new/rebuilt locomotives, locomotive-hauled vehicles and DMUs. |
| Submit comments here (APTA account required): 480 Vac Head End Power Jumper and Receptacle Hardware | Commuter, Intercity and High Speed Rail Standards (PRESS) | Electrical Working Group | This document defines the recommended practices for head end power (HEP) jumper/receptacle hardware. |
| Submit comments here (APTA account required): 27-Point Jumper and Receptacle Hardware for Locomotives, Locomotive-Hauled Equipment and MUs | Commuter, Intercity and High Speed Rail Standards (PRESS) | Electrical Working Group | This document defines the recommended practices for 27-point MU control and communication jumper and receptacle hardware for use on new and rebuilt locomotives, locomotive-hauled vehicles and MUs. |
| Submit comments here (APTA account required): Convenience Outlets | Commuter, Intercity and High Speed Rail Standards (PRESS) | Electrical Working Group | This recommended practice provides guidance for 120 Vac convenience outlets and USB receptacles on passenger rail vehicles. |
| Submit comments here (APTA account required): Passenger Car Tread Brake Shoe and Disc Brake Pad Periodic Inspection and Maintenance | Commuter, Intercity and High Speed Rail Standards (PRESS) | Inspection & Maintenance Working Group | This standard covers the basic procedures for the periodic inspection and maintenance of the tread brake shoes and disc brake pads of passenger cars, with an emphasis on the maintenance of safety appliances and other safety-critical systems.
This standard has been recommended for withdrawal by the PRESS Inspection and Maintenance Working Group as the contents are redundant with original equipment manufacturer instructions and agency maintenance instructions. All of this information is required to be referenced in each railroads inspection, testing, and maintenance plan. The variety of brake pads makes it impractical to document all variations within a single standard. The AAR has a standard for wear limits for tread break shoes. |
| Submit comments here (APTA account required): Passenger Car Brake Disc and Disc Brake Unit Periodic Inspection and Maintenance | Commuter, Intercity and High Speed Rail Standards (PRESS) | Inspection & Maintenance Working Group | This document establishes a standard for brake disc and disc brake unit inspection and maintenance of passenger cars.
The PRESS Inspection and Maintenance Working Group has recommended this standard for withdrawal. The document is redundant with original equipment manufacturer instructions and agency maintenance instructions. All of this information is required to be referenced in each railroads inspection, testing, and maintenance plan. The variety of disc brake pads make an a standard containing all possible variations impractical. The requirements for the disc brake units are sufficiently covered under the Code of Federal Regulations. |
| Submit comments here (APTA account required): Passenger Car Tread Brake Unit and Brake Cylinder Periodic Inspection and Maintenance | Commuter, Intercity and High Speed Rail Standards (PRESS) | Inspection & Maintenance Working Group | This document establishes a standard for the tread brake unit and brake cylinder inspection and maintenance of passenger cars. |
