# Qualification and Certification of Locomotive Engineers and Conductors; English Language Proficiency and Other Requirements

**Action Urgency Score:** 20/100

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Agency | Transportation Department; Federal Railroad Administration |
| Type | Proposed rule |
| Action | Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). |
| Published | 2026-07-31 |
| Comments close | 2026-09-29 |
| Significant | No |
| CFR parts | 49 CFR 240, 49 CFR 242 |
| Summary | FRA proposes to amend its regulations governing the qualification and certification of locomotive engineers and conductors to establish English language proficiency as a requirement for a railroad carrier to certify and recertify locomotive engineers and conductors. FRA also proposes that each railroad carrier conducting a triennial examination of skill performance, and an annual operational monitoring observation for locomotive engineers, which are current requirements, conduct those examinations and observations without engaging energy management systems that limit the need for a locomotive  |
| Document number | 2026-15605 |

## Why this score


Source: Federal Register API (Office of the Federal Register) (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/31/2026-15605/qualification-and-certification-of-locomotive-engineers-and-conductors-english-language-proficiency). Last refreshed: 2026-11-04T21:40:49.974Z.
Data from the Federal Register API; the published Federal Register document is authoritative. Informational only, not legal advice.