§ 218.99 Shoving or pushing movements. ( a ) ( 1 ) Each railroad shall adopt and comply with an operating rule which complies with the requirements of this section. When any person including, but not limited to, each railroad, railroad officer, supervisor, and employee violates any requirement of an operating rule which complies with the requirements of this section, that person shall be considered to have violated the requirements of this section.
( 2 ) The following requirements for shoving or pushing movements do not apply to rolling equipment intentionally shoved or pushed to permit the rolling equipment to roll without power attached, *i.e.,* free rolling equipment, during switching service activities known as kicking, humping, or dropping cars.
( b ) *General movement requirements* — ( 1 ) *Job briefing.* Rolling equipment shall not be shoved or pushed until the locomotive engineer participating in the move has been briefed by the employee who will direct the move. The job briefing shall include the means of communication to be used between the locomotive engineer and the employee directing the move and how point protection will be provided.
( 2 ) *No unrelated tasks.* During the shoving or pushing movement, the employee directing the movement shall not engage in any task unrelated to the oversight of the shoving or pushing movement.
( 3 ) *Point protection.* When rolling equipment or a lite locomotive train with two or more locomotives that is operated from a single control stand is shoved or pushed, point protection shall be provided by a crewmember or other qualified employee by: ( i ) Visually determining that the track is clear. The determination that the track is clear may be made with the aid of monitored cameras or other technological means, provided that it and the procedures for use provide an equivalent level of protection to that of a direct visual determination by a crewmember or other qualified employee properly positioned to make the observation as prescribed in this section and appendix D to this part; and
( ii ) Giving signals or instructions necessary to control the movement.
( c ) *Additional requirements for remote control movements.* All remote control movements are considered shoving or pushing movements, except when the remote control operator controlling the movement is riding the leading end of the leading locomotive in a position to visually determine conditions in the direction of movement. In addition to the other requirements of this section, ( 1 ) When initiating a remote control shoving or pushing movement: ( i ) The remote control operator shall visually determine the direction the equipment moves; or
( ii ) A member of the crew shall visually determine the direction the equipment moves and confirm the direction with the remote control operator. If no confirmation is received, the movement shall be immediately stopped; and
( 2 ) If technology is relied upon, whether primarily or as a safeguard, to provide pull-out protection by preventing the movement from exceeding the limits of a remote control zone, the technology shall be demonstrated ( i ) To be failsafe; or
( ii ) To provide suitable redundancy to prevent unsafe failure.
( d ) *Remote control zone, exception to track is clear requirements.* After an initial track is clear determination has been made in an activated remote control zone, it is not necessary to make a new determination prior to each subsequent shoving or pushing movement provided that: ( 1 ) The controlling locomotive of the remote control movement is on the leading end in the direction of movement, i.e., the movement occurs on the pull-out end;
( 2 ) The remote control zone is not jointly occupied; and
( 3 ) The initial determination was made by a crewmember of either: ( i ) The remote control crew;
( ii ) A relieved remote control crew who has transferred the remote control zone directly to the relieving crew; or
( iii ) The last jointly occupying crew who directly communicates, i.e., not through a third party, to a remote control crewmember that the remote control zone is no longer jointly occupied and meets the requirements for track is clear.
( e ) *Operational exceptions.* A railroad does not need to comply with paragraphs (b) through (d) of this section in the following circumstances: ( 1 ) Push-pull operations when operated from the leading end in the direction of movement, i.e., push mode;
( 2 ) Shoving or pushing operations with a helper service train operation or distributed power locomotives assisting a train when the train is being operated from the leading end in the direction of movement;
( 3 ) During the performance of roadway maintenance activity under the direct control of a roadway worker performing work in accordance with railroad operating rules specific to roadway workers; or
( 4 ) When the leading end of a shoving movement is on a main track or signaled siding, under the following conditions: ( i ) The train dispatcher gives authority or permission to make the movement and verifies that: ( A ) Another movement or work authority is not in effect within the same or overlapping limits unless conflicting movements are protected; and
( B ) A main track is not removed from service by a work authority within the same or overlapping limits;
( ii ) Movement is limited to the train's authority;
( iii ) Movement shall not be made into or within yard limits, restricted limits, drawbridges, or work authority limits;
( iv ) Movement shall not enter or foul a highway-rail grade crossing or pedestrian crossing except when: ( A ) Crossing gates are in the fully lowered position; or
( B ) A designated and qualified employee is stationed at the crossing and has the ability to communicate with trains; or
( C ) At crossings equipped only with flashing lights or passive warning devices, when it is clearly seen that no traffic is approaching or stopped at the crossing and the leading end of the movement over the crossing does not exceed 15 miles per hour; and
( v ) Movement shall not be made into or within interlocking limits or controlled point limits unless the following conditions are met: ( A ) The signal governing movement is more favorable than restricting aspect;
( B ) Each signal governing movement into and through interlocking limits or controlled point limits shall be continuously observed by a member of that crew who is in a position to determine that the train's movement has occupied the circuit controlling that signal as evidenced by that signal assuming its most restrictive aspect; and
( C ) The movement does not exceed the train's length.
( 5 ) Shoving or pushing movements made in the direction of the circuited end of a designated departure track equipped with a shove light system, if all of the following conditions are met: ( i ) The shove light system is demonstrated to be failsafe;
( ii ) The shove light system is arranged to display a less favorable aspect when the circuited section of the track is occupied;
( iii ) Written procedures are adopted and complied with that provide for a reliable means of determining track occupancy prior to commencing a shoving or pushing movement;
( iv ) The track is designated in writing;
( v ) The track is under the exclusive and continuous control of a yardmaster or other qualified employee;
( vi ) The train crewmember or other qualified employee directing the shoving or pushing movement complies with the general movement requirements contained in paragraphs (b)(1) and (b)(2) of this section;
( vii ) All remote control shoving or pushing movements comply with the requirements contained in paragraph (c)(1) of this section; and
( viii ) The shove light system is continuously illuminated when the circuited section of the track is unoccupied.
[73 FR 8498, Feb. 13, 2008, as amended at 73 FR 33902, June 16, 2008; 89 FR 25108, Apr. 9, 2024]