(a) An RRP plan shall describe how the railroad will implement its RRP. A railroad may implement its RRP in stages, so long as the railroad fully implements the entire RRP within 36 months of FRA's approval of the plan.

(b) At a minimum, a railroad's implementation plan shall:

(1) Cover the entire implementation period;

(2) Contain a timeline describing when certain implementation milestones will be achieved. Implementation milestones shall be specific and measurable;

(3) Describe the roles and responsibilities of each position or job function that has significant responsibility for implementing the railroad's RRP or any changes to the railroad's RRP (including any such positions or job functions held by a person that enters into a contractual relationship with the railroad to either perform significant safety-related services on the railroad's behalf or to utilize significant safety-related services provided by the railroad for railroad operations purposes); and

(4) Describe how significant changes to the RRP may be made.