This appendix establishes procedures for the submission of a railroad's RRP plan and statements by directly affected employees consistent with the requirements of this part.

Submission by a Railroad and Directly Affected Employees

(a) As provided for in §271.101, each railroad must establish and fully implement an RRP that continually and systematically evaluates railroad safety hazards on its system and manages the resulting risks to reduce the number and rates of railroad accidents, incidents, injuries, and fatalities. The RRP shall be fully implemented and supported by a written RRP plan. Each railroad must submit its RRP plan to FRA for approval as provided for in §271.201.

(b) As provided for in §271.207(e), if a railroad and its directly affected employees cannot come to agreement on the proposed contents of the railroad's RRP plan, the directly affected employees have 30 days following the railroad's submission of its proposed RRP plan to submit a statement to the FRA Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety and Chief Safety Officer explaining the directly affected employees' views on the plan on which agreement was not reached.

(c) The railroad's and directly affected employees' submissions shall be sent to the Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety and Chief Safety Officer, FRA. The mailing address for FRA is 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. When a railroad submits its RRP plan and consultation statement to FRA pursuant to §271.301, it must also simultaneously send a copy of these documents to all individuals identified in the service list pursuant to §271.207(d)(3).

(d) Each railroad and directly affected employee is authorized to file by electronic means any submissions required under this part. Before any person files a submission electronically, the person shall provide the FRA Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety and Chief Safety Officer with the following information in writing:

(1) The name of the railroad or directly affected employee(s);

(2) The names of two individuals, including job titles, who will be the railroad's or directly affected employees' points of contact and will be the only individuals allowed access to FRA's secure document submission site;

(3) The mailing addresses for the railroad's or directly affected employees' points of contact;

(4) The railroad's system or main headquarters address located in the United States;

(5) The email addresses for the railroad's or directly affected employees' points of contact; and

(6) The daytime telephone numbers for the railroad's or directly affected employees' points of contact.

(e) A request for electronic submission or FRA review of written materials shall be addressed to the FRA Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety and Chief Safety Officer, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Upon receipt of a request for electronic submission that contains the information listed above, FRA will then contact the requestor with instructions for electronically submitting its program or statement. A railroad that electronically submits an initial RRP plan or new portions or revisions to an approved program required by this part shall be considered to have provided its consent to receive approval or disapproval notices from FRA by email. FRA may electronically store any materials required by this part regardless of whether the railroad that submits the materials does so by delivering the written materials to the Associate Administrator and opts not to submit the materials electronically. A railroad that opts not to submit the materials required by this part electronically, but provides one or more email addresses in its submission, shall be considered to have provided its consent to receive approval or disapproval notices from FRA by email or mail.