(a) Except for minimal joint operations provided for in paragraph (f) of this section, no railroad that is responsible for controlling the conduct of joint operations with another railroad shall permit or require any person to operate a locomotive in any class of train or engine service unless that person has been certified as a qualified locomotive engineer for the purposes of joint operations and issued a certificate that complies with §240.223.

(b) Each railroad that is responsible for controlling the conduct of joint operations with another railroad shall certify a person as a qualified locomotive engineer for the purposes of joint operations either by making the determinations required under subpart C of this part or by relying on the certification issued by another railroad under this part.

(c) A railroad that controls joint operations may rely on the certification issued by another railroad under the following conditions:

(1) The controlling railroad shall determine:

(i) That the person has been certified as a qualified engineer under the provisions of this part by the railroad which employs that individual;

(ii) That the person certified as a locomotive engineer by the other railroad has demonstrated the necessary knowledge concerning the controlling railroad's operating rules, if the rules are different;

(iii) That the person certified as a locomotive engineer by the other railroad has the necessary operating skills concerning the joint operations territory; and

(iv) That the person certified as a locomotive engineer by the other railroad has the necessary familiarity with the physical characteristics for the joint operations territory; and,

(2) The railroad which employs the individual shall determine that the person called to operate on the controlling railroad is a certified engineer who is qualified to operate on that track segment; and

(3) Each locomotive engineer who is called to operate on another railroad shall:

(i) Be qualified on the segment of track upon which he or she will operate in accordance with the requirements set forth by the controlling railroad; and,

(ii) Immediately notify the railroad upon which he or she is employed if he or she is not qualified to perform that service.

(d) A railroad that controls joint operations and certifies locomotive engineers from a different railroad may comply with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section by noting its supplemental certification decision on the original certificate as provided for in §240.223(c).

(e) A railroad responsible for controlling the conduct of joint operations with another railroad shall be deemed to be in compliance with paragraph (a) of this section when it provides a qualified person to accompany a locomotive engineer who lacks joint operations certification during that engineer's operations in joint operations territory. As used in this section qualified person means either a designated supervisor of locomotive engineers or a certified train service engineer determined by the controlling railroad to have the necessary knowledge concerning the controlling railroad's operating rules and to have the necessary operating skills including familiarity with its physical characteristics concerning the joint operations territory.

(f) A railroad that is responsible for controlling the conduct of joint operations with another railroad may permit a certified locomotive engineer to operate a locomotive in any class of train or engine service without determining that the person has been certified as a qualified locomotive engineer for the purposes of joint operations when a minimal joint operation is involved. For the purposes of this section a minimal joint operation exists when a locomotive or train belonging to one railroad is being operated on the same track on which operations are conducted by the railroad controlling operations, under the following conditions:

(1) The maximum authorized speed for operations on the track does not exceed 20 miles per hour;

(2) The track is other than a main track;

(3) Operations are conducted under operating rules that require every locomotive and train to proceed at a speed that permits stopping within one half the range of vision of the locomotive engineer; and

(4) The maximum distance for joint operations on the track does not exceed one mile.

[56 FR 28254, June 19, 1991, as amended at 58 FR 19003, Apr. 9, 1993; 64 FR 60993, Nov. 8, 1999]