# Regulatory Relief From Locomotive Horn Sounding Pattern at Public Highway-Rail Grade Crossings

**Action Urgency Score:** 30/100

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Agency | Transportation Department; Federal Railroad Administration |
| Type | Final rule |
| Action | Final rule. |
| Published | 2026-08-31 |
| Effective | 2026-09-30 |
| Significant | No |
| CFR parts | 49 CFR 222 |
| Summary | This final rule amends safety standards related to use of the locomotive horn to provide regulatory relief from the required pattern of sounding the locomotive horn in two long blasts, one short blast, and one long blast for locomotive engineers operating trains, locomotive consists, or individual locomotives that have stopped in close proximity to a public highway-rail grade crossing. This final rule allows locomotive engineers to vary the locomotive horn sounding pattern to one single blast of the horn as they enter the nearby public highway-rail grade crossing. |
| Document number | 2026-17783 |

## Why this score
- Final rule.

Source: Federal Register API (Office of the Federal Register) (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/31/2026-17783/regulatory-relief-from-locomotive-horn-sounding-pattern-at-public-highway-rail-grade-crossings). Last refreshed: 2026-11-03T19:10:06.902Z.
Data from the Federal Register API; the published Federal Register document is authoritative. Informational only, not legal advice.