Braking system rule for certain hazmat trains rescinded

   The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) this week finalized amendments to the hazardous materials regulations that remove the requirement for certain high hazard flammable unit trains to operate using electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) braking systems. 
   PHMSA said its analysis showed that the expected costs of requiring ECP brakes would be significantly higher than the expected benefits of the requirement. This regulatory change does not affect the ability of a railroad to implement ECP brakes.
   The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act required further analysis of the ECP brake requirements, including physical testing, to improve general knowledge and understanding of how much more effective ECP brakes are in comparison to other brake systems. It also required DOT to determine whether the ECP brake requirements are justified based on the expected costs and benefits. 
   The updated regulatory impact analysis incorporated new findings from ECP brake testing conducted by the Federal Railroad Administration, which were reviewed by the National Academy of Sciences, PHMSA said. The analysis also incorporated recommendations from U.S. Government Accountability Office and updated costs and benefits of the ECP brake provision based on current economic conditions. 
   The updated analysis found that the expected costs of ECP brakes are significantly higher than the expected benefits, and therefore the FAST Act required DOT to repeal the ECP brake requirement, PHMSA said.
   More information is available at https://www.regulations.gov in Docket Number PHMSA-2017-0102.