Railroads can now use their own brake inspection rules, not the old federal ones

The US railroad safety agency wants to make permanent some temporary waivers for how freight and passenger trains inspect their brakes. This means railroads will follow rules they have been using for years, instead of the older, stricter federal standards.

For years, railroads had to ask for special permission to use more modern brake inspection methods. This proposal makes those permissions permanent, which means less paperwork and faster adoption of new maintenance practices. It also means the federal government is formally accepting that the industry's own methods are sufficient for safety.