The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) was created by the Department of Transportation. Act of 1966. Under FRA regulations, each railroad has primary responsibility to ensure its track meets or exceeds the federal safety standards. This includes railroad inspectors performing track inspections at specified minimum frequencies based on the class of track, the type of track, the annual gross tonnage operated over the track, and whether it carries passenger trains.
According to FRA Regulations:
- Track speed is determined by the class of track.
- Railroads can change the class of track (and thus increase or decrease the track speed) whenever it deems appropriate and without prior notification to, or approval by, the FRA.
- Railroad maintains the track to the appropriate federal safety standards for that class of track.
Class of track (Track speed freight/passenger)
Excepted track 10 N/A m.p.h.
Class 1 track 10 15 m.p.h.
Class 2 track 25 30 m.p.h.
Class 3 track 40 60 m.p.h.
Class 4 track 60 80 m.p.h.
Class 5 track 80 90 m.p.h.
Class 6 track 110 m.p.h.
Class 7 track 125 m.p.h.
Class 8 track 160 m.p.h.
Class 9 track 220 m.p.h.
If a segment of track does not meet all of the requirements for its intended class, it is reclassified to the next lowest class of track for which it does meet all of the requirements of this part.
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