49 C.F.R. Subpart C—Specific Requirements for Tier I Passenger Equipment
Title 49 - Transportation
Link to an amendment published at 71 FR 36916, June 26, 2006. (a) Scope. (1) This subpart contains requirements for railroad passenger equipment operating at speeds not exceeding 125 miles per hour. As stated in §238.229, all such passenger equipment remains subject to the safety appliance requirements contained in Federal statute at 49 U.S.C. chapter 203 and in FRA regulations at part 231 and §232.2 of this chapter. Unless otherwise specified, these requirements only apply to passenger equipment ordered on or after September 8, 2000 or placed in service for the first time on or after September 9, 2002. (2) The structural standards of this subpart (§238.203-static end strength; §238.205-anti-climbing mechanism; §238.207-link between coupling mechanism and car body; §238.209-forward-facing end structure of locomotives; §238.211-collision posts; §238.213-corner posts; §238.215-rollover strength; §238.217-side structure; §238.219 -truck-to-car-body attachment; and §238.223-locomotive fuel tanks) do not apply to passenger equipment if used exclusively on a rail line: (i) With no public highway-rail grade crossings; (ii) On which no freight operations occur at any time; (iii) On which only passenger equipment of compatible design is utilized; and (iv) On which trains operate at speeds not exceeding 79 mph. (b) Alternative compliance. Passenger equipment of special design shall be deemed to comply with this subpart, other than §238.203, for the service environment in which the petitioner proposes to operate the equipment if the FRA Associate Administrator for Safety determines under paragraph (c) of this section that the equipment provides at least an equivalent level of safety in such environment with respect to the protection of its occupants from serious injury in the case of a derailment or collision. In making a determination under paragraph (c) the Associate Administrator shall consider, as a whole, all of those elements of casualty prevention or mitigation relevant to the integrity of the equipment that are addressed by the requirements of this subpart. (c)(1) The Associate Administrator may only make a finding of equivalent safety and compliance with this subpart, other than §238.203, based upon a submission of data and analysis sufficient to support that determination. The petition shall include: (i) The information required by §238.21(c); (ii) Information, including detailed drawings and materials specifications, sufficient to describe the actual construction of the equipment of special design; (iii) Engineering analysis sufficient to describe the likely performance of the equipment in derailment and collision scenarios pertinent to the safety requirements for which compliance is required and for which the equipment does not conform to the specific requirements of this subpart; and (iv) A quantitative risk assessment, incorporating the design information and engineering analysis described in this paragraph, demonstrating that the equipment, as utilized in the service environment for which recognition is sought, presents no greater hazard of serious personal injury than equipment that conforms to the specific requirements of this subpart. (2) Any petition made under this paragraph is subject to the procedures set forth in §238.21, and will be disposed of in accordance with §238.21(g). [64 25660, May 12, 1999, as amended at 67 FR 19990, Apr. 23, 2002] (a)(1) Except as further specified in this paragraph or in paragraph (d), on or after November 8, 1999 all passenger equipment shall resist a minimum static end load of 800,000 pounds applied on the line of draft without permanent deformation of the body structure. (2) For a passenger car or a locomotive, the static end strength of unoccupied volumes may be less than 800,000 pounds if: (i) Energy absorbing structures are used as part of a crash energy management design of the passenger car or locomotive, and (ii) The passenger car or locomotive resists a minimum static end load of 800,000 pounds applied on the line of draft at the ends of its occupied volume without permanent deformation of the body structure. (3) For a locomotive placed in service prior to November 8, 1999, as an alternative to resisting a minimum static end load of 800,000 pounds applied on the line of draft without permanent deformation of the body structure, the locomotive shall resist a horizontal load of 1,000,000 pounds applied along the longitudinal center line of the locomotive at a point on the buffer beam construction 12 inches above the center line of draft without permanent deformation of the body structure. The application of this load shall not be distributed over an area greater than 6 inches by 24 inches. The alternative specified in this paragraph is not applicable to a cab car or an MU locomotive. (4) The requirements of this paragraph do not apply to: (i) A private car; or (ii) Unoccupied passenger equipment operating at the rear of a passenger train. (b) Passenger equipment placed in service before November 8, 1999 is presumed to comply with the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section, unless the railroad operating the equipment has knowledge, or FRA makes a showing, that such passenger equipment was not built to the requirements specified in paragraph (a)(1). (c) When overloaded in compression, the body structure of passenger equipment shall be designed, to the maximum extent possible, to fail by buckling or crushing, or both, of structural members rather than by fracture of structural members or failure of structural connections. (d) Grandfathering of non-compliant equipment for use on a specified rail line or lines.(1) Grandfathering approval is equipment and line specific. Grandfathering approval of non-compliant equipment under this paragraph is limited to usage of the equipment on a particular rail line or lines. Before grandfathered equipment can be used on another rail line, a railroad must file and secure approval of a grandfathering petition under paragraph (d)(3) of this section. (2) Temporary usage of non-compliant equipment. Any passenger equipment placed in service on a rail line or lines before November 8, 1999 that does not comply with the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) may continue to be operated on that particular line or (those particular lines) if the operator of the equipment files a petition seeking grandfathering approval under paragraph (d)(3) before November 8, 1999. Such usage may continue while the petition is being processed, but in no event later than May 8, 2000, unless the petition is approved. (3) Petitions for grandfathering. Petitions for grandfathering shall include: (i) The name, title, address, and telephone number of the primary person to be contacted with respect to the petition; (ii) Information, including detailed drawings and material specifications, sufficient to describe the actual construction of the equipment; (iii) Engineering analysis sufficient to describe the likely performance of the static end strength of the equipment and the likely performance of the equipment in derailment and collision scenarios pertinent to the equipment's static end strength; (iv) A description of risk mitigation measures that will be employed in connection with the usage of the equipment on a specified rail line or lines to decrease the likelihood of accidents involving the use of the equipment; and (v) A quantitative risk assessment, incorporating the design information, engineering analysis, and risk mitigation measures described in this paragraph, demonstrating that the use of the equipment, as utilized in the service environment for which recognition is sought, is in the public interest and is consistent with railroad safety. (e) Service. Three copies of each petition shall be submitted to the Associate Administrator for Safety, Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 Vermont Ave., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590. (f) Federal Register notice. FRA will publish a notice in the (g) Comment. Not later than 30 days from the date of publication of the notice in the (1) Each comment shall set forth specifically the basis upon which it is made, and contain a concise statement of the interest of the commenter in the proceeding. (2) Each comment shall be submitted to the DOT Central Docket Management System, Nassif Building, Room Pl–401, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590, and shall contain the assigned docket number for that proceeding. The form of such submission may be in written or electronic form consistent with the standards and requirements established by the Central Docket Management System and posted on its web site at http://dms.dot.gov. (h) Disposition of petitions.(1) If the Administrator finds it necessary or desirable, FRA will conduct a hearing on a petition in accordance with the procedures provided in §211.25 of this chapter. (2) If FRA finds that the petition complies with the requirements of this section and that the proposed usage is in the public interest and consistent with railroad safety, the petition will be granted, normally within 90 days of its receipt. If the petition is neither granted nor denied within 90 days, the petition remains pending for decision. FRA may attach special conditions to the approval of the petition. Following the approval of a petition, FRA may reopen consideration of the petition for cause stated. (3) If FRA finds that the petition does not comply with the requirements of this section or that the proposed usage is not in the public interest and consistent with railroad safety, the petition will be denied, normally within 90 days of its receipt. (4) When FRA grants or denies a petition, or reopens consideration of the petition, written notice is sent to the petitioner and other interested parties. [64 FR 25660, May 12, 1999, as amended at 64 FR 70196, Dec. 16, 1999; 67 FR 19991, Apr. 23, 2002]
Link to an amendment published at 71 FR 36916, June 26, 2006. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, all passenger equipment placed in service for the first time on or after September 8, 2000 shall have at both the forward and rear ends an anti-climbing mechanism capable of resisting an upward or downward vertical force of 100,000 pounds without failure. When coupled together in any combination to join two vehicles, AAR Type H and Type F tight-lock couplers satisfy this requirement. (b) Except for a cab car or an MU locomotive, each locomotive ordered on or after September 8, 2000, or placed in service for the first time on or after September 9, 2002, shall have an anti-climbing mechanism at its forward end capable of resisting both an upward and downward vertical force of 200,000 pounds without failure. [64 FR 25660, May 12, 1999, as amended at 67 FR 19991, Apr. 23, 2002] All passenger equipment placed in service for the first time on or after September 8, 2000 shall have a coupler carrier at each end designed to resist a vertical downward thrust from the coupler shank of 100,000 pounds for any normal horizontal position of the coupler, without permanent deformation. For passenger equipment that is connected by articulated joints that comply with the requirements of §238.205(a), such passenger equipment also complies with the requirements of this section. The skin covering the forward-facing end of each locomotive shall be: (a) Equivalent to a (b) Designed to inhibit the entry of fluids into the occupied cab area of the equipment; and (c) Affixed to the collision posts or other main vertical structural members of the forward end structure so as to add to the strength of the end structure. (d) As used in this section, the term “skin” does not include forward-facing windows and doors. (a) Except as further specified in this paragraph and paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section— (1) All passenger equipment placed in service for the first time on or after September 8, 2000 shall have either: (i) Two full-height collision posts, located at approximately the one-third points laterally, at each end. Each collision post shall have an ultimate longitudinal shear strength of not less than 300,000 pounds at a point even with the top of the underframe member to which it is attached. If reinforcement is used to provide the shear value, the reinforcement shall have full value for a distance of 18 inches up from the underframe connection and then taper to a point approximately 30 inches above the underframe connection; or (ii) An equivalent end structure that can withstand the sum of forces that each collision post in paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section is required to withstand. For analysis purposes, the required forces may be assumed to be evenly distributed at the end structure at the underframe joint. (2) The requirements of this paragraph do not apply to unoccupied passenger equipment operating in a passenger train, or to the rear end of a locomotive if the end is unoccupied by design. (b) Each locomotive, including a cab car and an MU locomotive, ordered on or after September 8, 2000, or placed in service for the first time on or after September 9, 2002, shall have at its forward end, in lieu of the structural protection described in paragraph (a) of this section, either: (1) Two forward collision posts, located at approximately the one-third points laterally, each capable of withstanding: (i) A 500,000-pound longitudinal force at the point even with the top of the underframe, without exceeding the ultimate strength of the joint; and (ii) A 200,000-pound longitudinal force exerted 30 inches above the joint of the post to the underframe, without exceeding the ultimate strength; or (2) An equivalent end structure that can withstand the sum of the forces that each collision post in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section is required to withstand. (c) The end structure requirements in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section apply only to the ends of a semi-permanently coupled consist of articulated units, provided that: (1) The railroad submits to the FRA Associate Administrator for Safety under the procedures specified in §238.21 a documented engineering analysis establishing that the articulated connection is capable of preventing disengagement and telescoping to the same extent as equipment satisfying the anti-climbing and collision post requirements contained in this subpart; and (2) FRA finds the analysis persuasive. [64 FR 25660, May 12, 1999, as amended at 67 FR 19991, Apr. 23, 2002] (a) Each passenger car shall have at each end of the car, placed ahead of the occupied volume, two full-height corner posts capable of resisting: (1) A horizontal load of 150,000 pounds at the point of attachment to the underframe without failure; (2) A horizontal load of 20,000 pounds at the point of attachment to the roof structure without failure; and (3) A horizontal load of 30,000 pounds applied 18 inches above the top of the floor without permanent deformation. (b) For purposes of this section, the orientation of the applied horizontal loads shall range from longitudinal inward to transverse inward. (a) Each passenger car shall be designed to rest on its side and be uniformly supported at the top (“roof rail”), the bottom cords (“side sill”) of the side frame, and, if bi-level, the intermediate floor rail. The allowable stress in the structural members of the occupied volumes for this condition shall be one-half yield or one-half the critical buckling stress, whichever is less. Local yielding to the outer skin of the passenger car is allowed provided that the resulting deformations in no way intrude upon the occupied volume of the car. (b) Each passenger car shall also be designed to rest on its roof so that any damage in occupied areas is limited to roof sheathing and framing. Other than roof sheathing and framing, the allowable stress in the structural members of the occupied volumes for this condition shall be one-half yield or one-half the critical buckling stress, whichever is less. Deformation to the roof sheathing and framing is allowed to the extent necessary to permit the vehicle to be supported directly on the top chords of the side frames and end frames. Each passenger car shall comply with the following: (a) Side posts and corner braces. (1) For modified girder, semi-monocoque, or truss construction, the sum of the section moduli in inches3 —about a longitudinal axis, taken at the weakest horizontal section between the side sill and side plate—of all posts and braces on each side of the car located between the body corner posts shall be not less than 0.30 multiplied by the distance in feet between the centers of end panels. (2) For modified girder or semi-monocoque construction only, the sum of the section moduli in inches3 —about a transverse axis, taken at the weakest horizontal section between the side sill and side plate—of all posts, braces and pier panels, to the extent available, on each side of the car located between body corner posts shall be not less than 0.20 multiplied by the distance in feet between the centers of end panels. (3) The center of an end panel is the point midway between the center of the body corner post and the center of the adjacent side post. (4) The minimum section moduli or thicknesses specified in paragraph (a) of this section may be adjusted in proportion to the ratio of the yield strength of the material used to that of mild open-hearth steel for a car whose structural members are made of a higher strength steel. (b) Sheathing. (1) Outside sheathing of mild, open-hearth steel when used flat, without reinforcement (other than side posts) in a side frame of modified girder or semi-monocoque construction shall not be less than 1/8 inch nominal thickness. Other metals may be used of a thickness in inverse proportion to their yield strengths. (2) Outside metal sheathing of less than (3) When the sheathing used for truss construction serves no load-carrying function, the minimum thickness of that sheathing shall be not less than 40 percent of that specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section. Passenger equipment shall have a truck-to-car-body attachment with an ultimate strength sufficient to resist without failure the following individually applied loads: 2g vertically on the mass of the truck; and 250,000 pounds in any horizontal direction on the truck, along with the resulting vertical reaction to this load. For purposes of this section, the mass of the truck includes axles, wheels, bearings, the truck-mounted brake system, suspension system components, and any other component attached to the truck by design. [67 FR 19991, Apr. 23, 2002] (a) Passenger equipment shall comply with the applicable Safety Glazing Standards contained in part 223 of this chapter, if required by that part. (b) Each exterior window on a locomotive cab and a passenger car shall remain in place when subjected to: (1) The forces described in part 223 of this chapter; and (2) The forces due to air pressure differences caused when two trains pass at the minimum separation for two adjacent tracks, while traveling in opposite directions, each train traveling at the maximum authorized speed. Locomotive fuel tanks shall comply with either the following or an industry standard providing at least an equivalent level of safety if approved by FRA under §238.21: (a) External fuel tanks. External locomotive fuel tanks shall comply with the requirements contained in Appendix D to this part. (b) Internal fuel tanks. (1) Internal locomotive fuel tanks shall be positioned in a manner to reduce the likelihood of accidental penetration from roadway debris or collision. (2) Internal fuel tank vent systems shall be designed so they do not become a path of fuel loss in any tank orientation due to a locomotive overturning. (3) Internal fuel tank bulkheads and skin shall, at a minimum, be equivalent to a 5/16-inch thick steel plate with a yield strength of 25,000 pounds per square inch. Material of a higher yield strength may be used to decrease the required thickness of the material provided at least an equivalent level of strength is maintained. Skid plates are not required. [67 FR 19991, Apr. 23, 2002] All passenger equipment shall comply with the following: (a) Conductors. Conductor sizes shall be selected on the basis of current-carrying capacity, mechanical strength, temperature, flexibility requirements, and maximum allowable voltage drop. Current-carrying capacity shall be derated for grouping and for operating temperature. (b) Main battery system. (1) The main battery compartment shall be isolated from the cab and passenger seating areas by a non-combustible barrier. (2) Battery chargers shall be designed to protect against overcharging. (3) If batteries are of the type to potentially vent explosive gases, the battery compartment shall be adequately ventilated to prevent the accumulation of explosive concentrations of these gases. (c) Power dissipation resistors. (1) Power dissipating resistors shall be adequately ventilated to prevent overheating under worst-case operating conditions as determined by the railroad. (2) Power dissipation grids shall be designed and installed with sufficient isolation to prevent combustion. (3) Resistor elements shall be electrically insulated from resistor frames, and the frames shall be electrically insulated from the supports that hold them. (d) Electromagnetic interference and compatibility. (1) The operating railroad shall ensure electromagnetic compatibility of the safety-critical equipment systems with their environment. Electromagnetic compatibility may be achieved through equipment design or changes to the operating environment. (2) The electronic equipment shall not produce electrical noise that affects the safe performance of train line control and communications or wayside signaling systems. (3) To contain electromagnetic interference emissions, suppression of transients shall be at the source wherever possible. (4) All electronic equipment shall be self-protected from damage or improper operation, or both, due to high voltage transients and long-term over-voltage or under-voltage conditions. This includes protection from both power frequency and harmonic effects as well as protection from radio frequency signals into the microwave frequency range. On or after November 8, 1999— (a) All passenger equipment shall exhibit freedom from hunting oscillations at all operating speeds. If hunting oscillations do occur, a railroad shall immediately take appropriate action to prevent derailment. For purposes of this paragraph, hunting oscillations shall be considered lateral oscillations of trucks that could lead to a dangerous instability. (b) All passenger equipment intended for service above 110 mph shall demonstrate stable operation during pre-revenue service qualification tests at all operating speeds up to 5 mph in excess of the maximum intended operating speed under worst-case conditions—including component wear—as determined by the operating railroad. (c) Nothing in this section shall affect the requirements of part 213 of this chapter as they apply to passenger equipment as provided in that part. Except as provided in this part, all passenger equipment continues to be subject to the safety appliance requirements contained in Federal statute at 49 U.S.C. chapter 203 and in Federal regulations at part 231 and §232.2 of this chapter. Except as otherwise provided in this section, on or after September 9, 1999 the following requirements apply to all passenger equipment and passenger trains. (a) A passenger train's primary brake system shall be capable of stopping the train with a service application from its maximum authorized operating speed within the signal spacing existing on the track over which the train is operating. (b) The brake system design of passenger equipment ordered on or after September 8, 2000 or placed in service for the first time on or after September 9, 2002, shall not require an inspector to place himself or herself on, under, or between components of the equipment to observe brake actuation or release. (c) Passenger equipment shall be provided with an emergency brake application feature that produces an irretrievable stop, using a brake rate consistent with prevailing adhesion, passenger safety, and brake system thermal capacity. An emergency brake application shall be available at any time, and shall be initiated by an unintentional parting of the train. (d) A passenger train brake system shall respond as intended to signals from a train brake control line or lines. Control lines shall be designed so that failure or breakage of a control line will cause the brakes to apply or will result in a default to control lines that meet this requirement. (e) Introduction of alcohol or other chemicals into the air brake system of passenger equipment is prohibited. (f) The operating railroad shall require that the design and operation of the brake system results in wheels that are free of condemnable cracks. (g) Disc brakes shall be designed and operated to produce a surface temperature no greater than the safe operating temperature recommended by the disc manufacturer and verified by testing or previous service. (h) Hand brakes and parking brakes. (1) Except for a locomotive that is ordered before September 8, 2000 or placed in service for the first time before Sepbember 9, 2002, and except for MU locomotives, all locomotives shall be equipped with a hand or parking brake that can: (i) Be applied or activated by hand; (ii) Be released by hand; and (iii) Hold the loaded unit on the maximum grade anticipated by the operating railroad. (2) Except for a private car and locomotives addressed in paragraph (h)(1) of this section, all other passenger equipment, including MU locomotives, shall be equipped with a hand brake that meets the requirements for hand brakes contained in part 231 of this chapter and that can: (i) Be applied or activated by hand; (ii) Be released by hand; and (iii) Hold the loaded unit on the maximum grade anticipated by the operating railroad. (3) The air brake shall not be depended upon to hold equipment standing unattended on a grade (including a locomotive, a car, or a train whether or not a locomotive is attached). When required, a sufficient number of hand brakes shall be applied to hold the train or equipment before the air brakes are released. Any hand brakes applied to hold equipment shall not be released until it is known that the air brake system is properly charged. (i) Passenger cars shall be equipped with a means to apply the emergency brake that is accessible to passengers and located in the vestibule or passenger compartment. The emergency brake shall be clearly identified and marked. (j) Locomotives ordered after September 8, 2000, or placed in service for the first time after September 9, 2002, that are equipped with blended brakes shall be designed so that: (1) The blending of friction and dynamic brake to obtain the correct retarding force is automatic; (2) Loss of power or failure of the dynamic brake does not result in exceeding the allowable stopping distance; (3) The friction brake alone is adequate to safely stop the train under all operating conditions; and (4) Operation of the friction brake alone does not result in thermal damage to wheels or disc rotor surface temperatures exceeding the manufacturer's recommendation. (k) For new designs of braking systems, the design process shall include computer modeling or dynamometer simulation of train braking that shows compliance with paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section over the range of equipment operating speeds. A new simulation is required prior to implementing a change in operating parameters. (l) Locomotives ordered on or after September 8, 2000 or placed in service for the first time on or after September 9, 2002, shall be equipped with effective air coolers or dryers that provide air to the main reservoir with a dew point at least 10 degrees F. below ambient temperature. (m) When a passenger train is operated in either direct or graduated release— (1) all the cars in the train consist shall be set up in the same operating mode or (2) up to two cars may be operated in direct release mode when the rest of the cars in the train are operated in graduated release mode, provided that the cars operated in direct release mode are hauled at the rear of the train consist. (n) Before adjusting piston travel or working on brake rigging, the cutout cock in the brake pipe branch must be closed and the air reservoirs must be voided of all compressed air. When cutout cocks are provided in brake cylinder pipes, these cutout cocks may be closed, and air reservoirs need not be voided of all compressed air. (o) All passenger trains to which this part applies shall comply with the requirements covering the use of two-way end-of-train devices contained in part 232 of this chapter. [64 FR 25660, May 12, 1999, as amended at 65 FR 41307, July 3, 2000]
Link to an amendment published at 71 FR 36917, June 26, 2006. (a) Each seat in a passenger car shall— (1) Be securely fastened to the car body so as to withstand an individually applied acceleration of 4g acting in the lateral direction and 4g acting in the upward vertical direction on the deadweight of the seat or seats, if held in tandem; and (2) Have an attachment to the car body of an ultimate strength capable of resisting simultaneously: (i) The longitudinal inertial force of 8g acting on the mass of the seat; and (ii) The load associated with the impact into the seatback of an unrestrained 95th-percentile adult male initially seated behind the seat, when the floor to which the seat is attached decelerates with a triangular crash pulse having a peak of 8g and a duration of 250 milliseconds. (b) Overhead storage racks in a passenger car shall provide longitudinal and lateral restraint for stowed articles. Overhead storage racks shall be attached to the car body with sufficient strength to resist loads due to the following individually applied accelerations acting on the mass of the luggage stowed as determined by the railroad: (1) Longitudinal: 8g; (2) Vertical: 4g; and (3) Lateral: 4g. (c) Other interior fittings within a passenger car shall be attached to the car body with sufficient strength to withstand the following individually applied accelerations acting on the mass of the fitting: (1) Longitudinal: 8g; (2) Vertical: 4g; and (3) Lateral: 4g. (d) To the extent possible, all interior fittings in a passenger car, except seats, shall be recessed or flush-mounted. (e) Sharp edges and corners in a locomotive cab and a passenger car shall be either avoided or padded to mitigate the consequences of an impact with such surfaces. (f) Each seat provided for a crewmember regularly assigned to occupy the cab of a locomotive and each floor-mounted seat in the cab shall be secured to the car body with an attachment having an ultimate strength capable of withstanding the loads due to the following individually applied accelerations acting on the combined mass of the seat and a 95th-percentile adult male occupying it: (1) Longitudinal: 8g; (2) Lateral: 4g; and (3) Vertical: 4g. (g) If, for purposes of showing compliance with the requirements of this section, the strength of a seat attachment is to be demonstrated through sled testing, the seat structure and seat attachment to the sled that is used in such testing must be representative of the actual seat structure in, and seat attachment to, the rail vehicle subject to the requirements of this section. If the attachment strength of any other interior fitting is to be demonstrated through sled testing, for purposes of showing compliance with the requirements of this section, such testing shall be conducted in a similar manner. (a) By December 31, 1999, each powered, exterior side door in a vestibule that is partitioned from the passenger compartment of a passenger car shall have a manual override device that is: (1) Capable of releasing the door to permit it to be opened without power from inside the car; (2) Located adjacent to the door which it controls; and (3) Designed and maintained so that a person may readily access and operate the override device from inside the car without requiring the use of a tool or other implement. If the door is dual-leafed, only one of the door leafs is required to respond to the manual override device. (b) Each passenger car ordered on or after September 8, 2000, or placed in service for the first time on or after September 9, 2002 shall have a minimum of two exterior side doors, each door providing a minimum clear opening with dimensions of 30 inches horizontally by 74 inches vertically. Note: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Specifications for Transportation Vehicles also contain requirements for doorway clearance (See 49 CFR part 38). Each powered, exterior side door on each such passenger car shall have a manual override device that is: (1) Capable of releasing the door to permit it to be opened without power from both inside and outside the car; (2) Located adjacent to the door which it controls; and (3) Designed and maintained so that a person may access the override device from both inside and outside the car without requiring the use of a tool or other implement. (c) A railroad may protect a manual override device used to open a powered, exterior door with a cover or a screen capable of removal without requiring the use of a tool or other implement. (d) Door exits shall be marked, and instructions provided for their use, as required by §239.107(a) of this chapter. [64 FR 25660, May 12, 1999, as amended at 67 FR 19991, Apr. 23, 2002] (a) Except as further specified in this paragraph, on or after November 8, 1999 a working alerter or deadman control shall be provided in the controlling locomotive of each passenger train operating in other than cab signal, automatic train control, or automatic train stop territory. If the controlling locomotive is ordered on or after September 8, 2000, or placed into service for the first time on or after September 9, 2002, a working alerter shall be provided. (b) Alerter or deadman control timing shall be set by the operating railroad taking into consideration maximum train speed and capabilities of the signal system. The railroad shall document the basis for setting alerter or deadman control timing and make this documentation available to FRA upon request. (c) If the train operator does not respond to the alerter or maintain proper contact with the deadman control, it shall initiate a penalty brake application. (d) The following procedures apply if the alerter or deadman control fails en route and causes the locomotive to be in non-compliance with paragraph (a): (1)(i) A second person qualified on the signal system and trained to apply the emergency brake shall be stationed in the locomotive cab; or (ii) The engineer shall be in constant communication with a second crewmember until the train reaches the next terminal. (2)(i) A tag shall be prominently displayed in the locomotive cab to indicate that the alerter or deadman control is defective, until such device is repaired; and (ii) When the train reaches its next terminal or the locomotive undergoes its next calender day inspection, whichever occurs first, the alerter or deadman control shall be repaired or the locomotive shall be removed as the controlling locomotive in the train. [64 FR 25660, May 12, 1999, as amended at 67 FR 19991, Apr. 23, 2002]
Title 49: Transportation
PART 238—PASSENGER EQUIPMENT SAFETY STANDARDS
Subpart C—Specific Requirements for Tier I Passenger Equipment
§ 238.201 Scope/alternative compliance.
§ 238.203 Static end strength.
§ 238.205 Anti-climbing mechanism.
§ 238.207 Link between coupling mechanism and car body.
§ 238.209 Forward-facing end structure of locomotives.
§ 238.211 Collision posts.
§ 238.213 Corner posts.
§ 238.215 Rollover strength.
§ 238.217 Side structure.
§ 238.219 Truck-to-car-body attachment.
§ 238.221 Glazing.
§ 238.223 Locomotive fuel tanks.
§ 238.225 Electrical system.
§ 238.227 Suspension system.
§ 238.229 Safety appliances.
§ 238.231 Brake system.
§ 238.233 Interior fittings and surfaces.
§ 238.235 Doors.
§ 238.237 Automated monitoring.
