New FRA rule requires stronger event recorders
Railroads have until Oct. 1 to harden their locomotive event recorders, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. The agency today issued a final rule requiring crash survivability improvements to prevent data loss from exposure to fire, impact shock, fluid immersion, and other potential damage resulting from train accidents.
Data on horn activation, “cruise control” functions, and train control operating directives sent to engineers’ onboard displays also will have to be captured. Already included are train speed, use of automatic air brakes, throttle position, and cab signal indication, among others.
In addition, railroads must keep stored accident data for one year vs. the traditional 30 days, and improve inspection, testing, and maintenance procedures.
Finally, the rule gives the industry four years to replace older-style event recorders using magnetic tape to store data with new electronic-memory models.
“We are making sure that investigators have more and better information available when working to find the cause of an accident,” said FRA Administrator Joseph H. Boardman during the announcement. “The more we can learn from train accidents, the more we can prevent them from occurring.”
From Railway Age…