USA: Metrolink is preparing 117 locomotives and cab cars for the October 12, 2027 FRA video-recording deadline after selecting Railhead Corporation to supply, install, test and commission new onboard systems.

Metrolink Hyundai Rotem cab car 638 at Los Angeles Union Station
Metrolink Hyundai Rotem cab car 638 at Los Angeles Union Station. Illustrative photo. Photo: Kwickie, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Metrolink has selected Railhead’s LDVR4K™ High-Definition Onboard Video System for the 117-vehicle program. Design work is currently underway, while Railhead is responsible for installation, testing and commissioning across the fleet.

The announcement says the operator intends to reach full compliance well ahead of the federal deadline as Southern California prepares for the 2028 Summer Olympics. It does not, however, provide an installation start date, a vehicle-by-vehicle sequence or a completion date.

What the FRA rule requires by 2027?

Under the FRA final rule, lead locomotives used in commuter or intercity passenger service must have compliant inward- and outward-facing image recording systems no later than October 12, 2027. The systems must record whenever the train is moving.

The rule requires at least the most recent 12 hours of operation to be retained on a certified crashworthy event-recorder memory module or an FRA-approved remote-storage alternative providing equivalent data protection.

Outward-facing recording must run at a minimum of 15 frames per second and have enough resolution to distinguish wayside signal aspects and the position of switch points 50 feet ahead. Inward-facing recording has a minimum rate of 5 frames per second and must cover the areas where crew members normally work, including the instruments and controls used to operate the locomotive.

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Metrolink remains in the design stage

The federal rule also creates a defined approval step before installation. A railroad must submit a technical description of the proposed image-recording system to FRA at least 90 days before installation, covering its 12-hour recording capability, crashworthiness and post-accident access to recordings. FRA must approve a system intended for compliance before it can be installed or placed in service.

That requirement makes the current design phase a material part of Metrolink’s path to compliance. The selected contract covers the full 117 locomotives and cab cars, but the available announcement does not disclose when installation will begin or when commissioning of the entire fleet is expected to finish.

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