The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced a notice regarding BNSF Railway's request to extend their current waiver, which allows them to perform certain safety tests on their solid-state equipment every four years instead of the usual two years. BNSF argues that their solid-state technology has proven to be more reliable than older systems and that the less frequent testing has not resulted in any safety issues. FRA invites the public to submit comments on this petition by May 2, 2025. This petition, along with other related communications, can be reviewed online.
Simple Explanation
BNSF Railway wants to keep testing their special train equipment every four years, instead of every two, because they say it's safe and works well. The government is asking people to share their thoughts on this idea before deciding.