Rail Transport

Council Of The EU Prepares Draft Position For OTIF CTE Non-Binding Items

In May 2026 the Council’s General Secretariat issued a note outlining the European Union’s coordinated draft position on non-binding technical items for the 18th session of the OTIF Committee of Technical Experts on 9 June 2026. While this step does not itself create new legal obligations, it signals how OTIF interoperability, telematics, accessibility and dangerous-goods rules are expected to evolve in line with EU rail law, so rail operators and shippers should monitor subsequent Council approval and the outcomes of the Bern meeting.

25 May 2026, 15:33data.consilium.europa.euEuropean Union

Netherlands Evaluates CLU+ Covenant for 25kV Railway Incident Response

RebelGroup’s 2020–2025 evaluation of the Dutch CLU+ covenant finds that specialist 25 kV response teams on the Betuweroute and HSL-Zuid remain critical for rapid, electrically safe access to rail incidents, but that scenarios for the HSL, governance arrangements and the underlying 2009 funding model are outdated. The report sets out options to revisit the 15-minute response standard, reduce or reprofile HSL night-time coverage, or potentially transfer tasks to ProRail, signalling that future policy choices could materially change how rail operators and safety regions organise and fund high-voltage incident response.

20 May 2026, 19:23zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nlNetherlands

Netherlands ILT Reports 2025 Follow-Up On Voorschoten Rail Safety Recommendations

In April 2026 the Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate published its 2025 monitoring report showing that ProRail has not yet fully implemented any of the Voorschoten rail accident safety recommendations. Rail infrastructure managers and contractors should expect continued ILT scrutiny and growing pressure for a shared incident database, stronger worksite protection, and reduced night-work risks, with potential future enforcement if structural measures lag.

20 May 2026, 19:23zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nlNetherlands

US FRA Amends Training Rule for Safety-Related Railroad Employees

The US Federal Railroad Administration has adopted a final rule amending its 49 CFR part 243 Training Rule for safety-related railroad employees, effective July 2026, to codify guidance and streamline training, refresher training, and oversight requirements. Railroads, contractors, and training providers must review and update their training programmes, records, and oversight processes—especially to use the one-year refresher-training extension for small entities and the new test-out option—so that only properly qualified staff perform safety-critical work.

16 May 2026, 14:56federalregister.govUnited States

US FRA Final Rule Clarifying Enforcement Attorneys' Prosecutorial Discretion Under 49 CFR Part 209

The US Federal Railroad Administration has adopted a final rule, effective 28 May 2026, clarifying that its enforcement attorneys may decline or dismiss technical violations that do not raise a practical safety issue in proceedings under 49 CFR Part 209. This codified discretion should reduce enforcement exposure and administrative burden for minor infractions while keeping regulatory focus, and associated compliance risk, on violations with meaningful rail safety consequences.

12 May 2026, 18:46federalregister.govUnited States

US FRA Seeks Comment on BNSF Petition To Extend AFM Calibration Intervals for Locomotives

The US Federal Railroad Administration has opened a public comment period on a BNSF Railway petition to amend an existing waiver and further extend calibration intervals for air flow method brake indicators on certain locomotives. If granted, the change could alter maintenance schedules and risk profiles for safety-critical brake equipment on BNSF trains, so rail operators and shippers should track FRA’s decision and any future codification of this waiver programme.

3 May 2026, 14:48govinfo.govUnited States

US FRA Final Rule Exempts Non-Interchanged Tourist and Historic Freight Cars From Stenciling Requirement

The US Federal Railroad Administration has issued a final rule, effective 28 May 2026, exempting certain non-interchanged tourist and historic freight cars from existing stenciling requirements in 49 CFR Part 215. This targeted deregulatory change eases administrative and waiver burdens for tourist and heritage rail operators without altering core safety obligations for standard freight rolling stock.

1 May 2026, 18:21federalregister.govUnited States

US FRA Final Rule: Miscellaneous Revisions to Qualification and Certification of Conductors

In April 2026, the US Federal Railroad Administration issued a final rule amending 49 CFR Part 242 to modernise conductor certification requirements, effective 28 May 2026. Railroads must update how they issue and manage conductor certificates, handle revocations, and conduct hearings, shifting more procedural responsibility and risk onto carriers while improving privacy and due process for workers.

30 Apr 2026, 15:45federalregister.govUnited States

US FRA Finalises Electronic Service and Civil Penalty Procedures for Railroad Safety Enforcement

In April 2026 the US Federal Railroad Administration issued a final rule amending 49 CFR part 209 to require electronic service of enforcement documents and to codify streamlined civil penalty procedures for rail safety violations, effective 26 May 2026. The changes modernise FRA enforcement, reduce paperwork, and clarify how railroads and other regulated parties will be notified of, respond to, and pay civil penalties, so compliance and legal teams should update their service addresses and internal processes accordingly.

29 Apr 2026, 18:09federalregister.govUnited States

European Commission Communication on Council Position for Railway Infrastructure Capacity Regulation

The European Commission has issued Communication COM(2026)171 accepting the Council’s first-reading position on a new EU Regulation governing how railway infrastructure capacity is allocated and used across the single European railway area. This step signals imminent adoption of a key Green Deal transport measure that will reshape rail capacity governance, strengthen national and EU‑level oversight, and rely on the EU Agency for Railways for data-driven implementation and future secondary legislation.

28 Apr 2026, 19:06ec.europa.euEuropean UnionEuropean Economic Area

EU Court of Justice: Appeal Filed Against Commission "Fire Protection Bogies" Decision and EN 45545‑2 Interpretation

An appeal to the EU Court of Justice challenges the Commission’s “Fire Protection Bogies” competition decision, arguing misinterpretation of railway fire-safety standard EN 45545-2 and breaches of fundamental rights in handling evidence and judicial review. If successful, the case could affect how EU authorities interpret EN 45545-2 and manage technical reports in competition complaints involving safety standards, but for now it leaves existing fire-safety and product compliance obligations unchanged.

28 Apr 2026, 18:19data.europa.euEuropean Union

Netherlands Finalises National Lowering of Noise-Production Ceilings for Main Railways

In April 2026 the Netherlands finalised a nationwide reduction of noise-production ceilings for main railway lines, enabling more housing development along tracks without increasing actual noise. This tightens long-term noise constraints for rail infrastructure and operations while expanding capacity for urban growth, so rail and planning teams must ensure future traffic and projects remain compatible with the new, lower noise budgets.

28 Apr 2026, 18:19open.overheid.nlNetherlands

US House Bill H.R. 7011 (Under Pressure Act) Would Require FRA Report on Rail Tank Car Pressure Relief Device Failures

US lawmakers have introduced the Under Pressure Act (H.R. 7011), which would require the Federal Railroad Administration to deliver a detailed report on rail tank car pressure relief device failures within 18 months of any eventual enactment. The proposal signals growing scrutiny of hazardous-material tank car design and derailment risk, potentially shaping future safety standards for rail operators, tank car builders, and shippers.

24 Apr 2026, 18:25govinfo.govUnited States

European Commission Plans Revision of ERA Regulation To Strengthen National Rail Safety Authority Oversight

On 17 April 2026 the European Commission signalled that it will prepare a proposal to revise the European Union Agency for Railways Regulation while confirming that the existing EU rail safety framework already ensures rolling stock fire safety compliance. This points to future governance changes for national safety authorities rather than immediate new material standards, but rail operators and manufacturers should track the coming proposal for possible shifts in oversight expectations.

23 Apr 2026, 08:15europarl.europa.euEuropean Union

Spain Adopts Royal Decree-Law 9/2026 on Urgent Transport Measures

Spain has adopted Royal Decree-Law 9/2026 to make fuel-price-linked road freight tariffs and invoice pass-through legally mandatory, tighten sanctions for shippers who block these adjustments, and deploy time-limited fuel-cost aid for diesel rail freight and specified maritime routes in response to the energy price shock. For transport operators and shippers in Spain, this immediately changes contract and invoicing practice, clarifies that eligible HVO can benefit from professional diesel refunds and fuel aids, and offers short-term financial support to diesel rail fleets while reinforcing longer-term policy favouring a sustainable shift towards rail and maritime transport.

21 Apr 2026, 16:16boe.esSpain

UNECE WP.6 Analyses Data to Monitor ITC Inland Transport GHG Emissions Strategy

UNECE’s Working Party on Transport Statistics has released a March 2026 analysis outlining how it will use UNFCCC and EDGAR data to monitor progress against the Inland Transport Committee’s strategy to cut greenhouse gas emissions from inland transport, with a milestone year of 2028 for delivering a robust emissions dataset. This shapes how countries’ transport decarbonisation trajectories will be tracked at UN regional level, signalling methodological convergence but without introducing new binding obligations for governments or operators.

European Commission Proposes Council Decision on EU Position for OTIF Rail Interoperability Revisions

The European Commission has proposed a Council Decision that would set the EU’s voting position at OTIF’s June 2026 Technical Experts’ Commission meeting on revisions to key international rail technical rules. If adopted, the Decision would steer the Union to support most updates aligning OTIF rules with EU rail interoperability law while blocking a new certificate format until it is fully compatible with EU vehicle registers, shaping future requirements for international rolling stock and telematics.

16 Apr 2026, 13:58eur-lex.europa.euEuropean Union

Pennsylvania HB 1191 (PN 3068) – Rail Safety, Hazardous Materials Reporting And Railyard Hazard Impact Assessments

Pennsylvania is advancing HB 1191 (PN 3068), a bill that would tighten rail safety rules, create confidential hazardous materials reporting, and require hazard impact assessments and mitigation plans for certain railyard projects that affect public grade crossings. If enacted, freight railroads and hazardous materials shippers using Pennsylvania rail lines would face stricter crew and equipment standards, new reporting and planning obligations, and potential capital investments to address high‑risk intersections and protect emergency access.

15 Apr 2026, 07:55palegis.usUnited States

EU Commission Adopts Implementing Decision 2026/803 Updating Rail Interoperability Harmonised Standards

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/803, published on 13 April 2026, amends Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2584 to update and extend the harmonised EN standards that support Directive (EU) 2016/797 on rail system interoperability. It adds and revises references for key axle, PRM accessibility, RAMS and power/EMC standards and defers withdrawal of some existing references until 13 October 2027, so rail manufacturers, infrastructure managers and notified bodies should plan migration of designs and conformity assessments to the updated standards set.

14 Apr 2026, 16:04eur-lex.europa.euEuropean Union

France Senate Commission Proposes Transport Framework Bill With Hazardous-Substance Disclosure and Zero-Emission Freight Obligations

In April 2026 the French Senate’s sustainable development commission adopted its version of the transport framework bill, adding detailed rules on hazardous-substance disclosure when legacy rail rolling stock is transferred and minimum annual use of zero-emission trucks by large freight buyers through 2036. If enacted, rail operators and public authorities will need robust substance inventories and contractual mechanisms for legacy assets, while major shippers across sectors must plan investments, data systems, and supplier strategies now to meet rising zero-emission road transport quotas or rely more on rail and waterborne freight.

14 Apr 2026, 14:52senat.frFranceEuropean Union