Signal Workers Dodge Certification Bullet in Latest FRA Reversal Proposal
Published Date: 5/15/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
The Federal Railroad Administration is proposing to cancel the rule that required signal employees to be certified. This affects railroad signal workers and companies, giving them more time to weigh in by July 14, 2026. No new costs or deadlines will kick in until the decision is final, so stay tuned!
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Rescind Signal Employee Certification
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) proposes to remove 49 CFR part 246 in its entirety, which would eliminate the 2024 rule requiring railroads to develop written programs to certify signal employees. The 2024 rule had required Class I and commuter railroads to submit programs by March 17, 2025, and Class II and Class III railroads by November 12, 2025; rescission would remove those submission and certification obligations.
Estimated $9.4M Ten-Year Savings
FRA estimates that rescinding the 2024 certification rule would result in a 10-year cost savings of $9.4 million (present value, 7 percent) and would eliminate estimated 10-year benefits of $2.9 million (present value, 7 percent). The 2024 final rule had estimated net costs of $6.5 million (PV, 7%) and annualized net costs of $0.9 million (PV, 7%).
No Enforcement During Review
FRA states it will exercise enforcement discretion and will not take enforcement action based on the current deadlines in 49 CFR 246.103(a)-(b) and 246.105(c)-(e) while this rescission rulemaking is pending. In practice, FRA is not enforcing the March 17, 2025 and November 12, 2025 submission deadlines for certification programs during the pendency of this NPRM.
Possible 6–12 Month Compliance Extension
If FRA decides not to rescind the rule, it proposes to extend the compliance dates by approximately six to twelve months from the effective date of a new final rule to give railroads extra time to comply. That proposed extension would delay liability for noncompliance during the extended period.
End Information-Collection Burden
FRA intends to discontinue the information collection associated with the 2024 certification rule (OMB Control No. 2130-0638) when a final rule is published, removing the related recordkeeping and reporting requirements. The recordkeeping and reporting requirements were previously approved by OMB on June 6, 2024.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
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Previous: 2026-09791, Certification of Dispatchers
The Federal Railroad Administration is proposing to cancel its 2024 rule that would have required railroad dispatchers to get certified. This change affects dispatchers and the rail companies that employ them, potentially saving time and money by avoiding new certification steps. If you want to share your thoughts, make sure to comment by July 14, 2026!
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