FRA revises Roadway Worker Protection regulation

Washington – The Federal Railroad Administration recently announced several changes to its Roadway Worker Protection regulation.

FRA listed the revisions as part of a final rule published in the June 10 Federal Register. The final rule follows a 2012 notice of proposed rulemaking about the changes, which refresh aspects of the original 1996 RWP regulation.

In the final rule, FRA adopts several recommendations from the agency’s Railroad Safety Advisory Committee, including:

• The adoption of procedures for how roadway workers cross railroad tracks.
• A new exception for railroads conducting snow removal and weed spraying operations.
• A clarification of the existing “foul time” provision.
• Three new permissible methods of establishing working limits on non-controlled tracks.
• The expanded use of individual train detection at controlled points.
• An amended provision governing train audible warnings for roadway workers.

The final rule is scheduled to go into effect April 1. Comments are due Sept. 13.