(a) Each railroad subject to this part shall have in effect a written program for certifying the qualifications of locomotive engineers.

(b) Each railroad shall have such a program in effect prior to commencing operations.

(c) Each railroad shall have a certification program approved in accordance with § 240.103 that includes:

(1) A procedure for designating any person it determines to be qualified as a supervisor of locomotive engineers that complies with the criteria established in § 240.105;

(2) A designation of the classes of service that it determines will be used in compliance with the criteria established in § 240.107;

(3) A procedure for evaluating prior safety conduct that complies with the criteria established in § 240.109;

(4) A procedure for evaluating visual and hearing acuity that complies with the criteria established in § 240.121;

(5) A procedure for training that complies with the criteria established in § 240.123;

(6) A procedure for knowledge testing that complies with the criteria established in § 240.125;

(7) A procedure for skill performance testing that complies with the criteria established in § 240.127; and

(8) A procedure for monitoring operational performance that complies with the criteria established in § 240.129.

[56 FR 28254, June 19, 1991, as amended at 74 FR 68182, Dec. 23, 2009]

(a) Each railroad shall submit its written certification program and a description of how its program conforms to the specific requirements of this part in accordance with the procedures contained in appendix B to this part and shall submit this written certification program for approval at least 60 days before commencing operations. The primary method for a railroad's submission is by email to [email protected]. For those railroads that are unable to send the program by email, the program may be sent to the Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety/Chief Safety Officer, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.

(b) Each railroad shall:

(1) Simultaneous with its filing with FRA, provide a copy of the submission filed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, a resubmission filed pursuant to paragraph (f) of this section, or a material modification filed pursuant to paragraph (g) of this section to the president of each labor organization that represents the railroad's employees subject to this part; and

(2) Include in its submission filed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, a resubmission filed pursuant to paragraph (f) of this section, or a material modification filed pursuant to paragraph (g) of this section a statement affirming that the railroad has provided a copy to the president of each labor organization that represents the railroad's employees subject to this part, together with a list of the names and addresses of persons provided a copy.

(c) Not later than 45 days from the date of filing a submission pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, a resubmission pursuant to paragraph (f) of this section, or a material modification pursuant to paragraph (g) of this section, any designated representative of railroad employees subject to this part may comment on the submission, resubmission, or material modification.

(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 by email to [email protected] or by mail to the Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety/Chief Safety Officer, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590; and

(3) The commenter shall affirm that a copy of the comment was provided to the railroad.

(d) The submission required by paragraph (a) of this section shall state the railroad's election either:

(1) To accept responsibility for the training of student engineers and thereby obtain authority for that railroad to certify initially a person as an engineer in an appropriate class of service, or

(2) To recertify only engineers previously certified by other railroads.

(e) A railroad that elects to accept responsibility for the training of student engineers shall state in its submission whether it will conduct the training program or employ a training program conducted by some other entity on its behalf but adopted and ratified by that railroad.

(f) A railroad's program is considered approved and may be implemented 30 days after the required filing date (or the actual filing date) unless the Administrator notifies the railroad in writing that the program does not conform to the criteria set forth in this part.

(1) If the Administrator determines that the program does not conform, the Administrator will inform the railroad of the specific deficiencies.

(2) If the Administrator informs the railroad of deficiencies more than 30 days after the initial filing date, the original program may remain in effect until 30 days after approval of the revised program is received so long as the railroad has complied with the requirements of paragraph (g) of this section.

(g) A railroad shall resubmit its program within 30 days after the date of such notice of deficiencies. A failure to resubmit the program with the necessary revisions will be considered a failure to implement a program under this part.

(1) The Administrator will inform the railroad in writing whether its revised program conforms to this part.

(2) If the program does not conform, the railroad shall resubmit its program.

(h) A railroad that intends to modify materially its program after receiving initial FRA approval shall submit a description of how it intends to modify the program in conformity with the specific requirements of this part at least 60 days prior to implementing such a change.

(1) A modification is material if it would affect the program's conformance with this part.

(2) The modification submission shall contain a description that conforms to the pertinent portion of the procedures contained in appendix B of this part.

(3) The modification submission will be handled in accordance with the procedures of paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section as though it were a new program.

[85 FR 81309, Dec. 15, 2020]

(a) A railroad is not required to use a certified locomotive engineer to perform the following functions:

(1) Operate specialized roadway maintenance equipment; or

(2) Operate a dual purpose vehicle that is:

(i) Being operated in conjunction with roadway maintenance and related maintenance of way functions, including traveling to and from the work site;

(ii) Moving under authority of railroad operating rules designated for the movement of roadway maintenance equipment that ensure the protection of such equipment from train movements; and

(iii) Being operated by an individual trained and qualified in accordance with §§ 214.341, 214.343, and 214.355 of this chapter.

(b) A railroad is required to use a certified locomotive engineer when operating a dual purpose vehicle other than in accordance with paragraph (a)(2) of this section.

[64 FR 60990, Nov. 8, 1999]

(a) Each railroad's program shall include criteria and procedures for implementing this section.

(b) The railroad shall examine any person it is considering for qualification as a supervisor of locomotive engineers to determine that he or she:

(1) Knows and understands the requirements of this part;

(2) Can appropriately test and evaluate the knowledge and skills of locomotive engineers;

(3) Has the necessary supervisory experience to prescribe appropriate remedial action for any noted deficiencies in the training, knowledge or skills of a person seeking to obtain or retain certification; and

(4) Is a certified engineer who is qualified on the physical characteristics of the portion of the railroad on which that person will perform the duties of a Designated Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers.

(c) If a railroad does not have any Designated Supervisors of Locomotive Engineers, and wishes to hire one, the chief operating officer of the railroad shall make a determination in writing that the Designated Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers designate possesses the necessary performance skills in accordance with § 240.127. This determination shall take into account any special operating characteristics which are unique to that railroad.

(d) Each railroad is authorized to designate a person as a designated supervisor of locomotive engineers with additional conditions or operational restrictions on the service the person may perform.

[56 FR 28254, June 19, 1991, as amended at 64 FR 60990, Nov. 8, 1999; 85 FR 81309, Dec. 15, 2020]

(a) Each railroad's program shall state which of the three classes of service, provided for in paragraph (b) of this section, that it will cover.

(b) A railroad may issue certificates for any or all of the following classes of service:

(1) Train service engineers,

(2) Locomotive servicing engineers, and

(3) Student engineers.

(c) The following operational constraints apply to each class of service:

(1) Train service engineers may operate locomotives singly or in multiples and may move them with or without cars coupled to them;

(2) Locomotive servicing engineers may operate locomotives singly or in multiples but may not move them with cars coupled to them; and

(3) Student engineers may operate only under direct and immediate supervision of an instructor engineer.

(d) Each railroad is authorized to impose additional conditions or operational restrictions on the service an engineer may perform beyond those identified in this section provided those conditions or restrictions are not inconsistent with this part.

(e) A railroad shall not reclassify the certification of any type of certified engineer to a more restrictive class of certificate or a student engineer certificate during the period in which the certification is otherwise valid.

[56 FR 28254, June 19, 1991, as amended at 74 FR 68182, Dec. 23, 2009; 85 FR 81309, Dec. 15, 2020]

(a) Each railroad's program shall include criteria and procedures to implement this section.

(b) A railroad shall evaluate the prior safety conduct of any person it is considering for qualification as a locomotive engineer and the program shall require that a person is ineligible if the person has an adverse record of prior safety conduct as provided for in § 240.115, § 240.117, or § 240.119.

(c) The program shall require evaluation of data which reflect the person's prior safety conduct as a railroad employee and the person's prior safety conduct as an operator of a motor vehicle, provided that there is relevant prior conduct. The information to be evaluated shall include:

(1) The relevant data furnished from the evaluating railroad's own records, if the person was previously an employee of that railroad;

(2) The relevant data furnished by any other railroad formerly employing the person; and

(3) The relevant data furnished by any governmental agency with pertinent motor vehicle driving records.

(d) The railroad's process for evaluating information concerning prior safety conduct shall be designed to conform wherever necessary with the procedural requirements of §§ 240.111, 240.113, 240.115, 240.117, 240.119, and 240.217.

(e) When evaluating a person's motor vehicle driving record or a person's railroad employment record, a railroad shall not consider information concerning motor vehicle driving incidents or prior railroad safety conduct that occurred at a time other than that specifically provided for in § 240.115, § 240.117 or § 240.119 of this subpart.

(f) A railroad's program shall provide a candidate for certification or recertification a reasonable opportunity to review and comment in writing on any record which contains information concerning the person's prior safety conduct, including information pertinent to determinations required under § 240.119 of this subpart, if the railroad believes the record contains information that could be sufficient to render the person ineligible for certification under this subpart.

(g) The opportunity for comment shall be afforded to the person prior to the railroad's rendering its eligibility decision based on that information. Any responsive comment furnished shall be retained by the railroad in accordance with § 240.215 of this part.

(h) The program shall include a method for a person to advise the railroad that he or she has never been a railroad employee or obtained a license to drive a motor vehicle. Nothing in this section shall be construed as imposing a duty or requirement that a person have prior railroad employment experience or obtain a motor vehicle driver's license in order to become a certified locomotive engineer.

(i) Nothing in this section, § 240.111, or § 240.113 shall be construed to prevent persons subject to this part from entering into an agreement that results in a railroad's obtaining the information needed for compliance with this subpart in a different manner than that prescribed in § 240.111 or § 240.113.

[56 FR 28254, June 19, 1991, as amended at 74 FR 68182, Dec. 23, 2009]

(a) Except for persons covered by § 240.109(h), each person seeking certification or recertification under this part shall, within 366 days preceding the date of the railroad's decision on certification or recertification:

(1) Take the actions required by paragraphs (b) through (f) or paragraph (g) of this section to make information concerning his or her driving record available to the railroad that is considering such certification or recertification; and

(2) Take any additional actions, including providing any necessary consent required by State, Federal, or foreign law to make information concerning his or her driving record available to that railroad.

(b) Each person seeking certification or recertification under this part shall:

(1) Request, in writing, that the chief of each driver licensing agency identified in paragraph (c) of this section provide a copy of that agency's available information concerning his or her driving record to the railroad that is considering such certification or recertification; and

(2) Request, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (d) or (e) of this section, that a check of the National Driver Register be performed to identify additional information concerning his or her driving record and that any resulting information be provided to that railroad.

(c) Each person shall request the information required under paragraph (b)(1) of this section from:

(1) The chief of the driver licensing agency of any jurisdiction, including a State or foreign country, which last issued that person a driver's license; and

(2) The chief of the driver licensing agency of any other jurisdiction, including states or foreign countries, that issued or reissued him or her a driver's license within the preceding five years.

(d) Each person shall request the information required under paragraph (b)(2) of this section from the Chief, National Driver Register, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590 in accordance with the procedures contained in appendix C of this part unless the person's motor vehicle driving license was issued by a State or the District of Columbia.

(e) If the person's motor vehicle driving license was issued by one of the driver licensing agencies of a State or the District of Columbia, the person shall request the chief of that driver licensing agency to perform a check of the National Driver Register for the possible existence of additional information concerning his or her driving record and to provide the resulting information to the railroad.

(f) If advised by the railroad that a driver licensing agency or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has informed the railroad that additional information concerning that person's driving history may exist in the files of a State agency or foreign country not previously contacted in accordance with this section, such person shall:

(1) Request in writing that the chief of the driver licensing agency which compiled the information provide a copy of the available information to the prospective certifying railroad; and

(2) Take any additional action required by State, Federal, or foreign law to obtain that additional information.

(g) Any person who has never obtained a motor vehicle driving license is not required to comply with the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section but shall notify the railroad of that fact in accordance with procedures of the railroad that comply with § 240.109(d).

(h) Each certified locomotive engineer or person seeking initial certification shall report motor vehicle incidents described in § 240.115(h)(1) and (2) to the employing railroad within 48 hours of being convicted for, or completed State action to cancel, revoke, suspend, or deny a motor vehicle driver's license for, such violations. For purposes of this paragraph (h) and § 240.115(h), “State action” means action of the jurisdiction that has issued the motor vehicle driver's license, including a foreign country. For the purposes of engineer certification, no railroad shall require reporting earlier than 48 hours after the conviction, or completed State action to cancel, revoke, or deny a motor vehicle driver's license.

[56 FR 28254, June 19, 1991, as amended at 64 FR 60990, Nov. 8, 1999; 74 FR 25175, May 27, 2009; 74 FR 68182, Dec. 23, 2009; 85 FR 81309, Dec. 15, 2020]

(a) Except for persons covered by § 240.109(h), each person seeking certification or recertification under this part shall, within 366 days preceding the date of the railroad's decision on certification or recertification:

(1) Request, in writing, that the chief operating officer or other appropriate person of the former employing railroad provide a copy of that railroad's available information concerning his or her service record pertaining to compliance or non-compliance with §§ 240.111, 240.117, and 240.119 to the railroad that is considering such certification or recertification; and

(2) Take any additional actions, including providing any necessary consent required by State or Federal law to make information concerning his or her service record available to that railroad.

(b) [Reserved]

[85 FR 81310, Dec. 15, 2020]

(a) Each railroad shall adopt and comply with a program meeting the requirements of this section. When any person (including, but not limited to, each railroad, railroad officer, supervisor, and employee) violates any requirement of a program that complies with the requirements of this section, that person shall be considered to have violated the requirements of this section.

(b) Except as provided in paragraphs (c) through (f) of this section, each railroad, prior to initially certifying or recertifying any person as a locomotive engineer for any type of service, shall determine that the person meets the eligibility requirements of this section involving prior conduct as a motor vehicle operator.

(c) A railroad shall initially certify a person as a locomotive engineer for 60 days if the person:

(1) Requested the information required by paragraph (h) of this section at least 60 days prior to the date of the decision to certify that person; and

(2) Otherwise meets the eligibility requirements provided in § 240.109.

(d) A railroad shall recertify a person as a locomotive engineer for 60 days from the expiration date of that person's certification if the person:

(1) Requested the information required by paragraph (h) of this section at least 60 days prior to the date of the decision to recertify that person; and

(2) Otherwise meets the eligibility requirements provided in § 240.109.

(e) Except as provided in paragraph (f) of this section, if a railroad which certified or recertified a person pursuant to paragraph (c) or (d) of this section does not obtain and evaluate the information required pursuant to paragraph (h) of this section within 60 days of the pertinent dates identified in paragraph (c) or (d) of this section, that person will be ineligible to perform as a locomotive engineer until the information can be evaluated.

(f) If a person requests the information required pursuant to paragraph (h) of this section but is unable to obtain it, that person or the railroad certifying or recertifying that person may petition for a waiver of the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section in accordance with the provisions of part 211 of this chapter. A railroad shall certify or recertify a person during the pendency of the waiver request if the person otherwise meets the eligibility requirements provided in § 240.109.

(g) When evaluating a person's motor vehicle driving record, a railroad shall not consider information concerning motor vehicle driving incidents that occurred more than 36 months before the month in which the railroad is making its certification decision or at a time other than that specifically provided for in § 240.111, § 240.117, § 240.119, or § 240.205.

(h) A railroad shall only consider information concerning the following types of motor vehicle incidents:

(1) A conviction for, or completed State action to cancel, revoke, suspend, or deny a motor vehicle driver's license for, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of or impaired by alcohol or a controlled substance; or

(2) A conviction for, or completed State action to cancel, revoke, suspend, or deny a motor vehicle driver's license for, refusal to undergo such testing as is required by State or foreign law when a law enforcement official seeks to determine whether a person is operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance.

(i) If such an incident is identified:

(1) The railroad shall provide the data to the railroad's DAC, together with any information concerning the person's railroad service record, and shall refer the person for evaluation to determine if the person has an active substance abuse disorder;

(2) The person shall cooperate in the evaluation and shall provide any requested records of prior counseling or treatment for review exclusively by the DAC in the context of such evaluation; and

(3) If the person is evaluated as not currently affected by an active substance abuse disorder, the subject data shall not be considered further with respect to certification. However, the railroad shall, on recommendation of the DAC, condition certification upon participation in any needed aftercare and/or follow-up testing for alcohol or drugs deemed necessary by the DAC consistent with the technical standards specified in § 240.119(d)(3).

(4) If the person is evaluated as currently affected by an active substance abuse disorder, the provisions of § 240.119(b) will apply.

(5) If the person fails to comply with the requirements of paragraph (i)(2) of this section, the person shall be ineligible to perform as a locomotive engineer until such time as the person complies with the requirements.

[85 FR 81310, Dec. 15, 2020]

(a) Each railroad shall adopt and comply with a program which meets the requirements of this section. When any person including, but not limited to, each railroad, railroad officer, supervisor, and employee violates any requirement of a program that complies with the requirements of this section, that person shall be considered to have violated the requirements of this section.

(b) A person who has demonstrated a failure to comply, as described in paragraph (e) of this section, with railroad rules and practices for the safe operation of trains shall not be currently certified as a locomotive engineer.

(c)(1) A certified locomotive engineer who has demonstrated a failure to comply with railroad rules and practices described in paragraph (e) of this section shall have his or her certification revoked.

(2) A Designated Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers, a certified locomotive engineer pilot or an instructor engineer who is monitoring, piloting or instructing a locomotive engineer and fails to take appropriate action to prevent a violation of paragraph (e) of this section, shall have his or her certification revoked. Appropriate action does not mean that a supervisor, pilot or instructor must prevent a violation from occurring at all costs; the duty may be met by warning an engineer of a potential or foreseeable violation. A Designated Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers will not be held culpable under this section when this monitoring event is conducted as part of the railroad's operational compliance tests as defined in §§ 217.9 and 240.303 of this chapter.

(3) A certified locomotive engineer who is called by a railroad to perform the duty of a train crew member other than that of locomotive engineer or conductor shall not have his or her certification revoked based on actions taken or not taken while performing that duty.

(d) In determining whether a person may be or remain certified as a locomotive engineer, a railroad shall consider as operating rule compliance data only conduct described in paragraphs (e)(1) through (5) of this section that occurred within a period of 36 consecutive months prior to the determination. A review of an existing certification shall be initiated promptly upon the occurrence and documentation of any conduct described in this section.

(e) A railroad shall only consider violations of its operating rules and practices that involve:

(1) Failure to control a locomotive or train in accordance with a signal indication, excluding a hand or a radio signal indication or a switch, that requires a complete stop before passing it;

(2) Failure to adhere to limitations concerning train speed when the speed at which the train was operated exceeds the maximum authorized limit by at least 10 miles per hour. Where restricted speed is in effect, railroads shall consider only those violations of the conditional clause of restricted speed rules (i.e., the clause that requires stopping within one half of the locomotive engineer's range of vision), or the operational equivalent thereof, which cause reportable accidents or incidents under part 225 of this chapter, except for accidents and incidents that are classified as “covered data” under § 225.5 of this chapter (i.e., employee injury/illness cases reportable exclusively because a physician or other licensed health care professional either made a one-time topical application of a prescription-strength medication to the employee's injury or made a written recommendation that the employee: Take one or more days away from work when the employee instead reports to work (or would have reported had he or she been scheduled) and takes no days away from work in connection with the injury or illness; work restricted duty for one or more days when the employee instead works unrestricted (or would have worked unrestricted had he or she been scheduled) and takes no other days of restricted work activity in connection with the injury or illness; or take over-the-counter medication at a dosage equal to or greater than the minimum prescription strength, whether or not the employee actually takes the medication, as instances of failure to adhere to this section;

(3) Failure to adhere to procedures for the safe use of train or engine brakes when the procedures are required for compliance with the Class I, Class IA, Class II, Class III, or transfer train brake test provisions of 49 CFR part 232 or when the procedures are required for compliance with the Class I, Class IA, Class II, or running brake test provisions of 49 CFR part 238;

(4) Occupying main track or a segment of main track without proper authority or permission;

(5) Failure to comply with prohibitions against tampering with locomotive mounted safety devices, or knowingly operating or permitting to be operated a train with an unauthorized disabled safety device in the controlling locomotive. (See 49 CFR part 218, subpart D, and appendix C to part 218); or

(6) Incidents of noncompliance with § 219.101 of this chapter; however, such incidents shall be considered as a violation only for the purposes of paragraphs (g)(2) and (3) of this section.

(f)(1) If in any single incident the person's conduct contravened more than one operating rule or practice, that event shall be treated as a single violation for the purposes of this section.

(2) A violation of one or more operating rules or practices described in paragraph (e)(1) through (e)(5) of this section that occurs during a properly conducted operational compliance test subject to the provisions of this chapter shall be counted in determining the periods of ineligibility described in paragraph (g) of this section.

(3) An operational test that is not conducted in compliance with this part, a railroad's operating rules, or a railroad's program under § 217.9 of this chapter, will not be considered a legitimate test of operational skill or knowledge, and will not be considered for certification, recertification or revocation purposes.

(4) A railroad shall not be permitted to deny or revoke an employee's certification based upon additional conditions or operational restrictions imposed pursuant to § 240.107(d).

(g) A period of ineligibility described in this paragraph shall:

(1) Begin, for a person not currently certified, on the date of the railroad's written determination that the most recent incident has occurred; or

(2) Begin, for a person currently certified, on the date of the railroad's notification to the person that recertification has been denied or certification has been revoked; and

(3) Be determined according to the following standards:

(i) In the case of a single incident involving violation of one or more of the operating rules or practices described in paragraphs (e)(1) through (5) of this section, the person shall have his or her certificate revoked for a period of 30 calendar days.

(ii) In the case of two separate incidents involving a violation of one or more of the operating rules or practices described in paragraphs (e)(1) through (5) of this section, that occurred within 24 months of each other, the person shall have his or her certificate revoked for a period of 180 calendar days.

(iii) In the case of three separate incidents involving violations of one or more of the operating rules or practices, described in paragraphs (e)(1) through (e)(6) of this section, that occurred within 36 months of each other, the person shall have his or her certificate revoked for a period of one year.

(iv) In the case of four separate incidents involving violations of one or more of the operating rules or practices, described in paragraphs (e)(1) through (e)(6) of this section, that occurred within 36 months of each other, the person shall have his or her certificate revoked for a period of three years.

(v) Where, based on the occurrence of violations described in paragraph (e)(6) of this section, different periods of ineligibility may result under the provisions of this section and § 240.119, the longest period of revocation shall control.

(h) Any or all periods of revocation provided in this section may consist of training.

(i) Future eligibility to hold certificate. A person whose certification has been denied or revoked shall be eligible for grant or reinstatement of the certificate prior to the expiration of the initial period of revocation only if:

(1) The denial or revocation of certification in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (g)(3) of this section is for a period of one year or less;

(2) Certification was denied or revoked for reasons other than noncompliance with § 219.101 of this chapter;

(3) The person has been evaluated by a Designated Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers and determined to have received adequate remedial training;

(4) The person has successfully completed any mandatory program of training or retraining, if that was determined to be necessary by the railroad prior to return to service; and

(5) At least one half the pertinent period of ineligibility specified in paragraph (g)(3) of this section has elapsed.

[64 FR 60990, Nov. 8, 1999, as amended at 68 FR 10139, Mar. 3, 2003; 74 FR 68182, Dec. 23, 2009; 85 FR 81311, Dec. 15, 2020]

(a) Program requirement. Each railroad shall adopt and comply with a program which complies with the requirements of this section. When any person, including, but not limited to, each railroad, railroad officer, supervisor, and employee, violates any requirement of a program which complies with the requirements of this section, that person shall be considered to have violated the requirements of this section.

(b) Determination requirement. Each railroad, prior to initially certifying or recertifying any person as a locomotive engineer for any type of service, shall determine that the person meets the eligibility requirements of this section.

(c) Recordkeeping requirement. In order to make the determination required under paragraph (d) of this section, a railroad shall have on file documents pertinent to that determination, including a written document from its DAC which states his or her professional opinion that the person has been evaluated as not currently affected by a substance abuse disorder or that the person has been evaluated as affected by an active substance abuse disorder.

(d) Fitness requirement. (1) A person who has an active substance abuse disorder shall be denied certification or recertification as a locomotive engineer.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (g) of this section, a certified locomotive engineer who is determined to have an active substance abuse disorder shall be ineligible to hold certification. Consistent with other provisions of this part, certification may be reinstated as provided in paragraph (f) of this section.

(3) In the case of a current employee of the railroad evaluated as having an active substance abuse disorder (including a person identified under the procedures of § 240.115), the employee may, if otherwise eligible, voluntarily self-refer for substance abuse counseling or treatment under the policy required by § 219.1001(b)(1) of this chapter; and the railroad shall then treat the substance abuse evaluation as confidential except with respect to ineligibility for certification.

(e) Prior alcohol/drug conduct; Federal rule compliance. (1) In determining whether a person may be or remain certified as a locomotive engineer, a railroad shall consider conduct described in paragraph (e)(2) of this section that occurred within a period of 60 consecutive months prior to the review. A review of certification shall be initiated promptly upon the occurrence and documentation of any incident of conduct described in this paragraph (e)(1).

(2) A railroad shall consider any violation of § 219.101 or § 219.102 of this chapter and any refusal to provide a breath or body fluid sample for testing under the requirements of part 219 of this chapter when instructed to do so by a railroad representative.

(3) A period of ineligibility described in this paragraph (e) shall begin:

(i) For a person not currently certified, on the date of the railroad's written determination that the most recent incident has occurred; or

(ii) For a person currently certified, on the date of the railroad's notification to the person that recertification has been denied or certification has been revoked.

(4) The period of ineligibility described in this section shall be determined in accordance with the following standards:

(i) In the case of a single violation of § 219.102 of this chapter, the person shall be ineligible to hold a certificate during evaluation and any required primary treatment as described in paragraph (f) of this section. In the case of two violations of § 219.102 of this chapter, the person shall be ineligible to hold a certificate for a period of two years. In the case of more than two such violations, the person shall be ineligible to hold a certificate for a period of five years.

(ii) In the case of one violation of § 219.102 of this chapter and one violation of § 219.101 of this chapter, the person shall be ineligible to hold a certificate for a period of three years.

(iii) In the case of one violation of § 219.101 of this chapter, the person shall be ineligible to hold a certificate for a period of 9 months (unless identification of the violation was through a qualifying referral program described in § 219.1001 of this chapter and the locomotive engineer waives investigation, in which case the certificate shall be deemed suspended during evaluation and any required primary treatment as described in paragraph (f) of this section). In the case of two or more violations of § 219.101 of this chapter, the person shall be ineligible to hold a certificate for a period of five years.

(iv) A refusal to provide a breath or body fluid sample for testing under the requirements of part 219 of this chapter when instructed to do so by a railroad representative shall be treated, for purposes of ineligibility under this paragraph (e), in the same manner as a violation of:

(A) Section 219.102 of this chapter, in the case of a refusal to provide a body fluid specimen for testing; or

(B) Section 219.101 of this chapter, in the case of a refusal to provide a breath sample for alcohol testing or a blood specimen for mandatory post-accident toxicological testing.

(f) Future eligibility to hold certificate following alcohol/drug violation. The following requirements apply to a person who has been denied certification or who has had certification suspended or revoked as a result of conduct described in paragraph (e) of this section:

(1) The person shall not be eligible for grant or reinstatement of the certificate unless and until the person has:

(i) Been evaluated by a SAP to determine if the person currently has an active substance abuse disorder;

(ii) Successfully completed any program of counseling or treatment determined to be necessary by the SAP prior to return to service; and

(iii) In accordance with the testing procedures of subpart H of part 219 of this chapter, has had an alcohol test with an alcohol concentration of less than .02 and presented a body fluid sample that tested negative for controlled substances assayed.

(2) A locomotive engineer placed in service or returned to service under the above-stated conditions shall continue in any program of counseling or treatment deemed necessary by the SAP and shall be subject to a reasonable program of follow-up alcohol and drug testing without prior notice for a period of not more than 60 months following return to service. Follow-up tests shall include not fewer than 6 alcohol tests and 6 drug tests during the first 12 months following return to service.

(3) Return-to-service and follow-up alcohol and drug tests shall be performed consistent with the requirements of subpart H of part 219 of this chapter.

(4) This paragraph (f) does not create an entitlement to utilize the services of a railroad SAP, to be afforded leave from employment for counseling or treatment, or to employment as a locomotive engineer. Nor does it restrict any discretion available to the railroad to take disciplinary action based on conduct described herein.

(g) Confidentiality protected. Nothing in this part shall affect the responsibility of the railroad under § 219.1003(f) of this chapter to treat qualified referrals for substance abuse counseling and treatment as confidential; and the certification status of a locomotive engineer who is successfully assisted under the procedures of that section shall not be adversely affected. However, the railroad shall include in its referral policy, as required pursuant to § 219.1003(j) of this chapter, a provision that, at least with respect to a certified locomotive engineer or a candidate for certification, the policy of confidentiality is waived (to the extent that the railroad shall receive from the SAP or DAC official notice of the substance abuse disorder and shall suspend or revoke the certification, as appropriate) if the person at any time refuses to cooperate in a recommended course of counseling or treatment.

[85 FR 81311, Dec. 15, 2020, as amended at 88 FR 27652, May 2, 2023]

(a) Each railroad shall adopt and comply with a program which complies with the requirements of this section. When any person, including, but not limited to, each railroad, railroad officer, supervisor, and employee, violates any requirement of a program that complies with the requirements of this section, that person shall be considered to have violated the requirements of this section.

(b) In order to be currently certified as a locomotive engineer, except as permitted by paragraph (e) of this section, a person's vision and hearing shall meet or exceed the standards prescribed in this section and appendix F to this part. It is recommended that each test conducted pursuant to this section should be performed according to any directions supplied by the manufacturer of such test and any American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards that are applicable.

(c) Except as provided in paragraph (e), each person shall have visual acuity that meets or exceeds the following thresholds:

(1) For distant viewing either

(i) Distant visual acuity of at least 20/40 (Snellen) in each eye without corrective lenses or

(ii) Distant visual acuity separately corrected to at least 20/40 (Snellen) with corrective lenses and distant binocular acuity of at least 20/40 (Snellen) in both eyes with or without corrective lenses;

(2) A field of vision of at least 70 degrees in the horizontal meridian in each eye; and

(3) The ability to recognize and distinguish between the colors of railroad signals as demonstrated by successfully completing one of the tests in appendix F to this part.

(d) Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section, each person shall have a hearing test or audiogram that shows the person's hearing acuity meets or exceeds the following thresholds: The person does not have an average hearing loss in the better ear greater than 40 decibels with or without use of a hearing aid, at 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, and 2,000 Hz. The hearing test or audiogram shall meet the requirements of one of the following:

(1) As required in 29 CFR 1910.95(h) (Occupational Safety and Health Administration);

(2) As required in § 227.111 of this chapter; or

(3) Conducted using an audiometer that meets the specifications of and is maintained and used in accordance with a formal industry standard, such as ANSI S3.6, “Specifications for Audiometers.”

(e) A person not meeting the thresholds in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section shall, upon request, be subject to further medical evaluation by a railroad's medical examiner to determine that person's ability to safely operate a locomotive. In accordance with the guidance prescribed in appendix F to this part, a person is entitled to one retest without making any showing and to another retest if the person provides evidence substantiating that circumstances have changed since the last test to the extent that the person could now arguably operate a locomotive or train safely. The railroad shall provide its medical examiner with a copy of this part, including all appendices. If, after consultation with one of the railroad's designated supervisors of locomotive engineers, the medical examiner concludes that, despite not meeting the threshold(s) in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, the person has the ability to safely operate a locomotive, the person may be certified as a locomotive engineer and such certification conditioned on any special restrictions the medical examiner determines in writing to be necessary.

(f) As a condition of maintaining certification, each certified locomotive engineer shall notify his or her employing railroad's medical department or, if no such department exists, an appropriate railroad official if the person's best correctable vision or hearing has deteriorated to the extent that the person no longer meets one or more of the prescribed vision or hearing standards or requirements of this section. This notification is required prior to any subsequent operation of a locomotive or train which would require a certified locomotive engineer.

[56 FR 28254, June 19, 1991, as amended at 64 FR 60992, Nov. 8, 1999; 85 FR 81312, Dec. 15, 2020]

(a) Each railroad shall adopt and comply with a program that meets the requirements of this section. When any person, including, but not limited to, each railroad, railroad officer, supervisor, and employee, violates any requirement of a program that complies with the requirements of this section, that person shall be considered to have violated the requirements of this section.

(b) A railroad shall provide for the continuing education of certified locomotive engineers to ensure that each engineer maintains the necessary knowledge, skill and ability concerning personal safety, operating rules and practices, mechanical condition of equipment, methods of safe train handling (including familiarity with physical characteristics as determined by a qualified Designated Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers), and relevant Federal safety rules.

(c) A railroad that elects to train a previously untrained person to be a locomotive engineer shall provide initial training that, at a minimum, complies with the program requirements of § 243.101 of this chapter and:

(1) Is composed of classroom, skill performance, and familiarization with physical characteristics components;

(2) Includes both knowledge and performance skill testing;

(3) Is conducted under the supervision of a qualified class instructor;

(4) Is subdivided into segments or periods of appropriate duration to effectively cover the following subject matter areas:

(i) Personal safety;

(ii) Railroad operating rules and procedures;

(iii) Mechanical condition of equipment;

(iv) Train handling procedures (including use of locomotive and train brake systems);

(v) Familiarization with physical characteristics including train handling; and

(vi) Compliance with Federal railroad safety laws, regulations, and orders; and

(5) Is conducted so that the performance skill component shall meet the following conditions:

(i) Be under the supervision of a qualified instructor engineer located in the same control compartment whenever possible;

(ii) Place the student engineer at the controls of a locomotive for a significant portion of the time; and

(iii) Permit the student to experience whatever variety of types of trains are normally operated by the railroad.

(d) Pursuant to paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, a person may acquire familiarity with the physical characteristics of a territory through the following methods if the specific conditions included in the description of each method are met. The methods used by a railroad for familiarizing its engineers with new territory while starting up a new railroad, starting operations over newly acquired rail lines, or reopening of a long unused route, shall be described in the railroad's locomotive engineer qualification program required under this part and submitted according to the procedures described in Appendix B to this part.

(1) If ownership of a railroad is being transferred from one company to another, the engineer(s) of the acquiring company may receive familiarization training from the selling company prior to the acquiring railroad commencing operation; or

(2) Failing to obtain familiarization training from the previous owner, opening a new rail line, or reopening an unused route would require that the engineer(s) obtain familiarization through other methods. Acceptable methods of obtaining familiarization include using hyrail trips or initial lite locomotive trips in compliance with what is specified in the railroad's locomotive engineer qualification program required under this part and submitted according to the procedures described in Appendix B to this part.

(e) A railroad shall designate in its program required by this section the time period in which a locomotive engineer must be absent from a territory or yard, before requalification on physical characteristics is required.

(f) A railroad's program shall include the procedures used to qualify or requalify a person on the physical characteristics.

[56 FR 28254, June 19, 1991, as amended at 64 FR 60992, Nov. 8, 1999; 85 FR 81312, Dec. 15, 2020]

(a) Each railroad shall adopt and comply with a program that meets the requirements of this section. When any person, including, but not limited to, each railroad, railroad officer, supervisor, and employee, violates any requirement of a program that complies with the requirements of this section, that person shall be considered to have violated the requirements of this section.

(b) A railroad shall have procedures for testing a person being evaluated for qualification as a locomotive engineer in either train or locomotive service to determine that the person has sufficient knowledge of the railroad's rules and practices for the safe operation of trains.

(c) The testing methods selected by the railroad shall be:

(1) Designed to examine a person's knowledge of the railroad's rules and practices for the safe operation of trains;

(2) Objective in nature;

(3) Administered in written form;

(4) Cover the following subjects:

(i) Personal safety practices;

(ii) Operating practices;

(iii) Equipment inspection practices;

(iv) Train handling practices including familiarity with the physical characteristics of the territory; and

(v) Compliance with Federal railroad safety laws, regulations, and orders;

(5) Sufficient to accurately measure the person's knowledge of the covered subjects; and

(6) Conducted without open reference books or other materials except to the degree the person is being tested on his or her ability to use such reference books or materials.

(d) The conduct of the test shall be documented in writing and the documentation shall contain sufficient information to identify the relevant facts relied on for evaluation purposes.

(e) For purposes of paragraph (c) of this section, the railroad must provide the person(s) being tested with an opportunity to consult with a supervisory employee, who possesses territorial qualifications for the territory, to explain a question.

(f) The documentation shall indicate whether the person passed or failed the test.

(g) If a person fails to pass the test, no railroad shall permit or require that person to function as a locomotive engineer prior to that person's achieving a passing score during a reexamination of the person's knowledge.

[56 FR 28254, June 19, 1991, as amended at 85 FR 81313, Dec. 15, 2020]

(a) Each railroad shall adopt and comply with a program which complies with the requirements of this section. When any person, including, but not limited to, each railroad, railroad officer, supervisor, and employee, violates any requirement of a program that complies with the requirements of this section, that person shall be considered to have violated the requirements of this section.

(b) A railroad shall have procedures for examining the performance skills of a person being evaluated for qualification as a locomotive engineer in either train or locomotive service to determine whether the person has the skills to safely operate locomotives and/or trains, including the proper application of the railroad's rules and practices for the safe operation of locomotives or trains, in the most demanding class or type of service that the person will be permitted to perform.

(c) The testing procedures selected by the railroad shall be:

(1) Designed to examine a person's skills in safely operating locomotives or trains including the proper application of the railroad's rules and practices for the safe operation of locomotives or trains when performing the most demanding class or type of service that the person will be permitted to perform;

(2) Conducted by a Designated Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers, who does not need to be qualified on the physical characteristics of the territory over which the test will be conducted;

(3) Cover the following subjects during the test period

(i) Operating practices;

(ii) Equipment inspection practices;

(iii) Train handling practices; and

(iv) Compliance with Federal safety rules;

(4) Be of sufficient length to effectively evaluate the person's ability to operate trains; and

(5) Conducted when the person either

(i) Is at the controls of the type of train normally operated on that railroad or segment of railroad and which this person might be permitted or required by the railroad to operate in the normal course of events after certification or

(ii) Is at the controls of a Type I or Type II simulator programmed to replicate the responsive behavior of the type of train normally operated on that railroad or segment of railroad and which this person might be permitted or required by the railroad to operate in the normal course of events after certification.

(d) The conduct of the test shall be documented in writing by the designated supervisor and the documentation shall contain:

(1) The relevant facts concerning the train being operated;

(2) The constraints applicable to its operation; and

(3) The factors observed and relied on for evaluation purposes by the designated supervisor.

(e) Each railroad's program shall indicate the types of actions the railroad will take in the event that a person fails an initial examination or a reexamination of his or her performance skills in accordance with the procedures required under § 240.211.

(f) Each railroad's program shall describe the scoring system used by the railroad during a skills test administered in accordance with the procedures required under § 240.211. The description shall include the skills to be tested and the weight or possible score that each skill will be given.

[56 FR 28254, June 19, 1991, as amended at 64 FR 60992, Nov. 8, 1999; 74 FR 68183, Dec. 23, 2009; 85 FR 81313, Dec. 15, 2020]

(a) Each railroad shall adopt and comply with a program which complies with the requirements of this section. When any person, including, but not limited to, each railroad, railroad officer, supervisor, and employee, violates any requirement of a program which complies with the requirements of this section, that person shall be considered to have violated the requirements of this section.

(b) Each railroad shall have a program to monitor the operational performance of those it has determined as qualified as a locomotive engineer in any class of service. The program shall include procedures to address the testing of certified engineers who are not given both an operational monitoring observation and an unannounced compliance test in a calendar year pursuant to paragraph (h) of this section. At a minimum, such procedures shall include the following:

(1) A requirement that an operational monitoring observation and an unannounced compliance test must be conducted within 30 days of a return to service as a locomotive engineer; and

(2) The railroad must retain a written record indicating the date that the engineer stopped performing service that requires certification pursuant to this part, the date that the engineer returned to performing service that requires certification pursuant to this part, and the dates that the operational monitoring observation and the unannounced compliance test were performed.

(c) The procedures for the operational monitoring observation shall:

(1) Be designed to determine that the person possesses and routinely employs the skills to safely operate locomotives and/or trains, including the proper application of the railroad's rules and practices for the safe operation of locomotives and trains;

(2) Be designed so that each engineer shall be monitored each calendar year by a Designated Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers, who does not need to be qualified on the physical characteristics of the territory over which the operational monitoring observation will be conducted;

(3) Be designed so that the locomotive engineer is either accompanied by the designated supervisor for a reasonable length of time or has his or her train handling activities electronically recorded by a train operations event recorder;

(d) The operational monitoring observation procedures may be designed so that the locomotive engineer being monitored either:

(i) Is at the controls of the type of train normally operated on that railroad or segment of railroad and which this person might be permitted or required by the railroad to operate in the normal course of events after certification or

(ii) Is at the controls of a Type I or Type II simulator programmed to replicate the responsive behavior of the type of train normally operated on that railroad or segment of railroad and which this person might be permitted or required by the railroad to operate in the normal course of events after certification.

(e) The unannounced compliance test program shall:

(1) Be designed so that, except for as provided in paragraph (h) of this section, each locomotive engineer shall be given at least one unannounced compliance test each calendar year;

(2) Designed to test:

(i) Engineer compliance with provisions of the railroad's operating rules that require response to signals that display less than a “clear” aspect, if the railroad operates with a signal system that must comply with part 236 of this chapter;

(ii) Engineer compliance with provisions of the railroad's operating rules, timetable or other mandatory directives that require affirmative response by the locomotive engineer to less favorable conditions than that which existed prior to initiation of the test; or

(iii) Engineer compliance with provisions of the railroad's operating rules, timetable or other mandatory directives violation of which by engineers were cited by the railroad as the cause of train accidents or train incidents in accident reports filed in compliance with part 225 of this chapter in the preceding calendar year;

(3) Designed so that the administration of these tests is effectively distributed throughout whatever portion of a 24-hour day that the railroad conducts its operations; and

(4) Designed so that individual tests are administered without prior notice to the engineer being tested.

(f) Each railroad's program shall indicate the types of actions the railroad will take in the event that it finds deficiencies with a locomotive engineer's performance during an operational monitoring observation or unannounced compliance test administered in accordance with the procedures required under § 240.303.

(g) Each railroad's program shall describe the scoring system used by the railroad during an operational monitoring observation or unannounced compliance test administered in accordance with the procedures required under § 240.303.

(h) A certified engineer who is not performing a service that requires certification pursuant to this part need not be given an unannounced compliance test or operational monitoring observation. However, when the certified engineer returns to a service that requires certification pursuant to this part, that certified engineer must be tested pursuant to this section and § 240.303 within 30 days of his or her return.

[56 FR 28254, June 19, 1991, as amended at 64 FR 60992, Nov. 8, 1999; 74 FR 68183, Dec. 23, 2009; 85 FR 81313, Dec. 15, 2020]