Requirements for an FRMP plan.

(a) In general. A railroad shall adopt and implement its FRMP through an FRA-approved FRMP plan, developed in consultation with directly affected employees as described under § 271.207. The railroad must submit the plan for approval to the FRA Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety and Chief Safety Officer at FRAFatigue@dot.gov, under the criteria of subpart D. (b) Goals. An FRMP plan must contain a statement that defines the specific fatigue-related goals of the FRMP and describes strategies for reaching those goals. (c) Methods —(1) Analysis of fatigue risk. An FRMP plan shall describe a railroad's method(s) for conducting its fatigue-risk analysis as part of its FRMP. The description shall specify: (i) The scope of the analysis, which is the covered population of safety-related railroad employees; (ii) The processes a railroad will use to identify fatigue-related railroad safety hazards on its system and determine the degree of risk associated with each fatigue-related hazard identified; (iii) The processes a railroad will use to compare and prioritize identified fatigue-related risks for mitigation purposes; and (iv) The information sources a railroad will use to support ongoing identification of fatigue-related railroad safety hazards and determine the degree of risk associated with those hazards. (2) Mitigation strategies. An FRMP plan shall describe a railroad's processes for: (i) Identifying and selecting fatigue risk mitigation strategies; and (ii) Monitoring identified fatigue-related railroad safety hazards. (3) Evaluation. An FRMP plan shall describe: (i) A railroad's processes for monitoring and evaluating the overall effectiveness of its FRMP and the effectiveness of fatigue-related mitigation strategies the railroad uses under § 271.607; and (ii) A railroad's procedures for reviewing the FRMP as part of the annual assessment of its RRP under § 271.401 and for updating the FRMP plan under the process for amending its RRP plan under § 271.303. (d) FRMP implementation plan. A railroad shall describe in its FRMP plan how it will implement its FRMP. This description must cover an implementation period not to exceed 36 months, and shall include: (1) A description of the roles and responsibilities of each position or job function with significant responsibility for implementing the FRMP, including those held by employees, contractors who provide significant FRMP-related services, and other entities or persons that provide significant FRMP services; (2) A timeline describing when certain milestones that must be met to implement the FRMP fully will be achieved. Implementation milestones shall be specific and measurable; (3) A description of how the railroad may make significant changes to the FRMP plan under the process for amending its RRP plan in § 271.303; and (4) The procedures for consultation with directly affected employees on any subsequent substantive amendments to the railroad's FRMP plan. The requirements of this section do not apply to non-substantive amendments ( e.g., amendments that update names and addresses of railroad personnel). [87 FR 35673, June 13, 2022, as amended at 90 FR 28200, July 1, 2025]