Jump to content
 







Main menu
   


Navigation  



Main page
Contents
Current events
Random article
About Wikipedia
Contact us
Donate
 




Contribute  



Help
Learn to edit
Community portal
Recent changes
Upload file
 








Search  

































Create account

Log in
 









Create account
 Log in
 




Pages for logged out editors learn more  



Contributions
Talk
 



















Contents

   



(Top)
 


1 Members  



1.1  Full members  





1.2  Associate members  







2 Overview  





3 History  





4 Categories  





5 See also  





6 References  





7 External links  














Northeast Operating Rules Advisory Committee







Add links
 









Article
Talk
 

















Read
Edit
View history
 








Tools
   


Actions  



Read
Edit
View history
 




General  



What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Cite this page
Get shortened URL
Download QR code
Wikidata item
 




Print/export  



Download as PDF
Printable version
 
















Appearance
   

 






From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 


The Northeast Operating Rules Advisory Committee (NORAC) is a body of railroads that establish a set of operating rules for railroads in North America. The NORAC rulebook is used by full and associate member railroads, located mostly in the Northeast United States.

Members[edit]

Full members[edit]

  • Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CR)
  • CSX Transportation (CSXT)
  • Keolis Commuter Services: Boston (KCS)
  • New Jersey Transit Rail Operations (NJTR)
  • New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway Corp. (NYSW)
  • Norfolk Southern (NS)
  • Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)
  • Associate members[edit]

  • Adrian and Blissfield Railroad (ABDF)
  • Bay Colony Railroad (BCLR)
  • Buckingham Branch Railroad (BB)
  • Cape Cod Central Railroad
  • Cape May Seashore Lines (CMSL)
  • Central New England Railroad (CNZR)
  • Central Railroad Company of Indiana (CIND)
  • Central Railroad Company of Indianapolis (CERA)
  • Chesapeake and Delaware LLC
  • Connecticut Southern Railroad (CSO)
  • C&S Railroad Corporation
  • East Jersey Railroad & Terminal Co. (EJR)
  • Finger Lakes Railway (FGLK)
  • Flats Industrial Railroad (FIR)
  • Fore River Transportation Corporation (FRVT)
  • Genesee Valley Transportation (GVT)
  • Housatonic Railroad Company (HRRC)
  • Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad (IHB)
  • Luzerne and Susquehanna Railway (LS)
  • Maine Eastern Railroad (MERR)
  • Massachusetts Central Railroad (MCER)
  • Massachusetts Coastal Railroad (MC)
  • Milford-Bennington Railroad (MBRX)
  • Morristown and Erie Railway (ME)
  • Mountain Division Railway Corporation
  • Narragansett Bay Railroad Company
  • National Park Service
  • Naugatuck Railroad Company (NAUG)
  • New Hope and Ivyland Railroad (NHRR)
  • New York and Greenwood Lake Railway (NYGL)
  • New York New Jersey Rail, LLC (NYNJ)
  • North Shore Railroad (NSHR)
  • Northern Central Railway (NCRY)
  • Owego & Hartford Railway, Inc. (OHRY)
  • Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad (PNE)
  • Plymouth & Lincoln Railroad
  • Port Jersey Railroad (PJR)
  • Raritan Central Railway (RCRY)
  • Seaview Transportation Company (SVTX)
  • Seminole Gulf Railway (SGLR)
  • SMS Rail Service (SLRS)
  • Somerset Railroad (SOM)
  • Southern New Jersey Rail Group (NJ Transit RiverLINE)
  • Southern Railroad of New Jersey (SRNJ)
  • Springfield Terminal Railway Company, d/b/a Pan Am Railways (ST)
  • Valley Railroad (VALE)
  • West Chester Railroad (WCRL)
  • Winamac Southern Railway (WSRY)
  • Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad
  • Overview[edit]

    The NORAC rules are intended to enhance railroad safety. The rules cover employee responsibilities, signaling equipment, procedures for safe train movement, dealing with accidents and other topics that directly and indirectly affect railroad safety.

    These rules govern operation on main lines, defined as those with some form of block control system.

    The 10th edition of the NORAC operating rules went into effect on November 6, 2011.[1]

    The 11th edition of the NORAC operating rules went into effect on February 1, 2018.

    The 12th edition of the NORAC Operating Rules went into effect on January 1, 2024.

    History[edit]

    In January 1985, six railroads (Conrail, Amtrak, Metro-North, New Jersey Transit, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, and Delaware & Hudson) met in Newark, New Jersey with the goal to create a common operating rulebook. In May 1985, a second meeting was held, with eight railroads present, five of the original six (Metro-North withdrew) plus Providence and Worcester, Long Island Rail Road, and Boston & Maine.

    The first rulebook was released in January 1987. It contained rules for three types of train control: automatic block (ABS), manual block (MBS), and voice (VCS). The MBS and VCS systems were both governed by NORAC's Form D, which is a train order transmitted directly to the train.

    In 1993 the fourth edition combined the MBS and VCS rules into a single "Form D Control System" (DCS).

    Categories[edit]

    The full set of NORAC rules is divided into 25 categories.

    1. Terminology, Definitions and Authorized Abbreviations
  • General Rules
  • Reporting for Duty
  • Miscellaneous Signals
  • Tampering
  • Inspection of Equipment
  • Movement of Trains
  • Protection of Trains
  • Movement Permit Form D
  • General Signal Rules
  • Signal Aspects and Indications
  • Form D Control System
  • Automatic Block Signal System
  • Cab Signal System
  • Interlockings and Controlled Points
  • Radios and Telephones
  • Movement of Track Cars
  • Dispatchers
  • Operators
  • Train Service Employees
  • Engine Service Employees
  • Yardmasters
  • Station Masters and Assistant Station Masters
  • Foremen and Track Car Drivers
  • Form D Illustration
  • See also[edit]

    References[edit]

    1. ^ "NORAC Operating Rules" (PDF) (10 ed.). Northeast Operating Rules Advisory Committee. 6 November 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 February 2016 – via National Transportation Safety Board.

    External links[edit]


    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Northeast_Operating_Rules_Advisory_Committee&oldid=1194086647"

    Categories: 
    Railway signaling in the United States
    Rail transportation in North America
    Hidden categories: 
    Articles with short description
    Short description matches Wikidata
    Articles needing additional references from August 2021
    All articles needing additional references
     



    This page was last edited on 7 January 2024, at 03:55 (UTC).

    Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.



    Privacy policy

    About Wikipedia

    Disclaimers

    Contact Wikipedia

    Code of Conduct

    Developers

    Statistics

    Cookie statement

    Mobile view



    Wikimedia Foundation
    Powered by MediaWiki