Surface Transportation Board Changes How Railroads Report Safety Costs and Service Data
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The Surface Transportation Board has finalized a rule that stops large freight railroads from filing a separate report on Positive Train Control expenses. Positive Train Control is the federally mandated automated safety system that prevents certain types of train accidents. The Board created the old reporting requirement in 2013 to track high installation costs while the system was being built. Now that the system is fully installed and paid for, the Board says tracking those costs separately no longer makes sense.
Why it matters: This is mostly an administrative update to how the federal government tracks railroad data. Ending the separate PTC reporting cuts paperwork for railroads and the Board. The new weekly metrics give the Board more frequent data on train scheduling and terminal operations, which it uses to monitor service and inform future policy. The change does not alter safety requirements or funding.
Who it affects
- Class I freight railroads
This final rule was issued by the Surface Transportation Board in the Federal Register; you should review the full decision and appended rule text before relying on the specific reporting formats or deadlines.
Agency: Surface Transportation Board
Source: Federal Register — read the official document