From Railway Age: Freight Car Safety Standards

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is proposing to amend the Freight Car Safety Standards (FCSS) to advance a freight rail safety provision of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Manufacturers of newly built freight cars placed into U.S. service will face restrictions.

BIL, signed into law Nov. 15, 2021, places certain restrictions such cars’ manufacture, “including limiting content that originates from a country of concern (COC) or is sourced from a state-owned enterprise (SOE) and prohibiting the use of sensitive technology that originates from a COC or SOE,” according to FRA. BIL requires “regulations to be issued to implement its mandate and for freight car manufacturers to certify that freight cars covered by the [Infrastructure Investment and Jobs] Act [also known as BIL] are in compliance.” FRA said its proposed amendments to the FCSS “will facilitate the implementation” of BIL requirements.

Comments on FRA’s proposed amendments to FCSS are due by Feb. 6, 2024.