FRA Passenger Equipment Safety Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under 49 CFR Part 238, what structural principle must be maintained to protect passengers during a collision?
- The entire car body must crumple uniformly to absorb energy
- The occupied volume of the car must maintain its structural integrity (Correct answer)
- Roof panels must be sacrificial to allow emergency escape
- Floor assemblies must detach to lower passengers to ground level
Correct answer: The occupied volume of the car must maintain its structural integrity
Part 238 requires the occupied volume of passenger cars to be designed so it maintains structural integrity during a collision, protecting the space where passengers are seated.
Question 2: What does 49 CFR Part 238 require of passenger equipment coupling systems?
- Only magnetic coupling systems approved after 2010 may be used
- Tight-lock Type H couplers are mandatory on all passenger cars
- Coupling systems must prevent unintended separation during normal operations (Correct answer)
- Chain-and-pin systems are required for heritage passenger equipment
Correct answer: Coupling systems must prevent unintended separation during normal operations
Part 238 requires that coupling systems used on passenger equipment prevent unintended separation of cars during normal train operations to maintain consist integrity.
Question 3: Under 49 CFR Part 238, what is the requirement for passenger car trucks (bogies)?
- Trucks must be replaced after every 50,000 miles regardless of condition
- Trucks must be inspected at prescribed intervals and meet dimensional safety standards (Correct answer)
- Truck inspections are optional if no defects are visually apparent during boarding
- Only wheel diameter is measured; other truck components are not federally regulated
Correct answer: Trucks must be inspected at prescribed intervals and meet dimensional safety standards
Part 238 requires passenger car trucks to be inspected at specified intervals and to meet dimensional and mechanical standards to ensure safe operation.
Question 4: Which FRA Part 238 requirement applies specifically to cab cars operating in push-pull passenger service?
- A powered locomotive must be physically attached to the cab car at all times
- Cab cars must meet additional structural and operator visibility requirements at the controlling end (Correct answer)
- Cab cars are prohibited from leading consists at speeds exceeding 60 mph
- A second qualified engineer must be present in the cab whenever the cab car is leading
Correct answer: Cab cars must meet additional structural and operator visibility requirements at the controlling end
Cab cars in push-pull service must meet enhanced structural requirements at the operating (controlling) end and provide adequate sight lines for the engineer when leading the train.
Question 5: What is the primary safety function of the trainline system required on passenger equipment under 49 CFR Part 238?
- To supply 120-volt AC power to passenger seat outlets and lighting
- To enable emergency braking and control communications throughout the entire train (Correct answer)
- To connect fuel lines between the locomotive and passenger cars
- To transmit real-time GPS location data to the dispatching center
Correct answer: To enable emergency braking and control communications throughout the entire train
Trainline systems must allow emergency braking commands and control signals to be communicated reliably to every car in the passenger consist.
Question 6: Under FRA Part 238, which of the following are included as secondary emergency exits on passenger cars?
- Only the end vestibule doors that connect adjacent cars
- Operable windows and roof hatches in addition to primary side doors (Correct answer)
- Luggage compartment doors large enough for passenger egress
- The locomotive cab door accessible from the passenger seating area
Correct answer: Operable windows and roof hatches in addition to primary side doors
Secondary emergency exits under Part 238 include operable windows, roof hatches, and other openings beyond primary doors, ensuring multiple evacuation paths if a door is blocked.
Question 7: Under 49 CFR Part 238, a passenger car wheel must be removed from service if its flange height exceeds what measurement?
- 1.0 inch
- 1.25 inches
- 1.5 inches (Correct answer)
- 2.0 inches
Correct answer: 1.5 inches
Wheels with flange heights exceeding 1.5 inches must be removed from service under FRA passenger equipment safety standards because excessive flange height can cause the wheel to climb over rail obstructions.
FRA Passenger Equipment Safety Standards 2
Under 49 CFR Part 238, what structural principle must be maintained to protect passengers during a collision?