USDOT proposes English proficiency rule for railroad crews

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) proposed a rule that would require English Language Proficiency (ELP) for railroad crews and establish a geographic limit for Mexican crews entering the U.S.

On July 31, USDOT’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to “establish ELP as a requirement for a railroad carrier to certify and recertify locomotive engineers and conductors.”

The rule would mandate that locomotive engineers and conductors undergo all training and testing for certification in English.

“As the proposed rule would mandate all training and testing for certification in English, U.S. railroads should be able to assess quickly whether ELP might be an obstacle to certifying any person. Like DOT requirements for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), FRA plans to evaluate whether locomotive engineers and conductors read and speak the English language sufficiently to perform their duties safely and will expect each railroad carrier to do so, as proposed in this rule,” FRA said.

Other provisions included in the NPRM include a geographic limit for Mexican-based crews at the southern border. The crews would be restricted from entering more than 10 miles into the U.S.

The rule proposal comes in response to FRA inspectors observing railroad crews struggling with language issues during routine safety oversight in Laredo last year.

From FRA:

“On December 19, 2025, USDOT announced that during FRA’s routine regulatory oversight of cross-border operations on Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (CPKC) and Union Pacific Railroad (UP), FRA observed “instances in which inbound [Mexican-based] crew members appeared to have difficulty interpreting General Track Bulletins and communicating safety requirements in English with [FRA] inspectors.”  Because essential train documents, radio communications, and mandatory directives are maintained exclusively in English for U.S. operations, ELP is an inherent and essential component of qualification under FRA’s locomotive engineer and conductor qualification and certification requirements. The ability of operating crews to communicate accurately with dispatchers and emergency responders during a crisis is a safety-critical function that must be ensured. U.S. railroad carriers engaged in operations with Mexican railroad carriers would likely need to assess whether their existing training and testing adequately address the ELP issue, so that Mexican train crews abide by the proposed U.S. standards, as FRA proposes to hold those U.S. railroad carriers responsible for compliance.”

FRA will accept public comment on the NPRM through September 29, 2026. You can follow this link to leave a comment online.