(a) Each railroad shall submit its written certification program and a description of how its program conforms to the specific requirements of this part in accordance with the procedures contained in appendix B to this part and shall submit this written certification program for approval at least 60 days before commencing operations.

(b) That submission shall state the railroad's election either:

(1) To accept responsibility for the training of student engineers and thereby obtain authority for that railroad to initially certify a person as an engineer in an appropriate class of service, or

(2) To recertify only engineers previously certified by other railroads.

A railroad that elects to accept responsibility for the training of student engineers shall state in its submission whether it will conduct the training program or employ a training program conducted by some other entity on its behalf but adopted and ratified by that railroad.

(c) A railroad's program is considered approved and may be implemented thirty days after the required filing date (or the actual filing date) unless the Administrator notifies the railroad in writing that the program does not conform to the criteria set forth in this part.

(1) If the Administrator determines that the program does not conform, the Administrator will inform the railroad of the specific deficiencies.

(2) If the Administrator informs the railroad of deficiencies more than 30 days after the initial filing date, the original program may remain in effect until 30 days after approval of the revised program is received.

(d) A railroad shall resubmit its program within 30 days after the date of such notice of deficiencies. A failure to resubmit the program with the necessary revisions will be considered a failure to implement a program under this part.

(1) The Administrator will inform the railroad in writing whether its revised program conforms with this part.

(2) If the program does not conform, the railroad shall resubmit its program.

(e) A railroad that intends to materially modify its program after receiving initial FRA approval shall submit a description of how it intends to modify the program in conformity with the specific requirements of this part at least 30 days prior to implementing such a change.

(1) A modification is material if it would affect the program's conformance with this part.

(2) The modification submission shall contain a description that conforms with the pertinent portion of the procedures contained in appendix B.

(3) The modification submission will be handled in accordance with the procedures of paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section as though it were a new program.

[56 FR 28254, June 19, 1991, as amended at 64 FR 60990, Nov. 8, 1999]