The US Department of Transportation has proposed new restrictions on unmanned aircraft operations over railroad properties and critical infrastructure sites, according to Progressive Railroading.

The proposed rule would establish airspace limits around designated transportation assets, including rail corridors, yards and adjacent infrastructure. Federal authorities have repeatedly cited safety, security and operational risks tied to small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) over critical facilities — from collision with working equipment to potential surveillance or deliberate attack.

Why the rail sector cares now

Drone activity near rail corridors has become a recurring operational issue for freight and passenger carriers. Rail police and security contractors periodically log near-miss events in which unmanned aircraft overfly yards, intermodal terminals and active rights-of-way. Operators have pressed federal regulators for years to formalize site-specific protections, arguing that existing FAA tools do not give railroads a workable enforcement path.

The proposal would sit alongside the FAA's Part 107 small UAS rule, the framework that has governed commercial drone activity across US airspace and driven a sustained rise in certified operators since 2016. Restrictions of this type typically operate through the FAA's rulemaking pipeline: a notice of proposed rulemaking, a defined comment period and final publication in the Federal Register before the measure takes effect.

What the proposal appears to cover

USDOT's draft targets two categories — rail infrastructure sites and a broader set of critical-infrastructure locations the department has flagged as sensitive to unmanned aerial activity. Federal policy defines critical infrastructure as assets whose disruption would impair public safety, freight movement or national security functions.

For the rail sector, the practical effect would be new no-fly zones around designated facilities. For commercial drone operators, flight planning systems and Part 107 waivers would need to absorb the new boundaries once the rule is final. For pilot associations and UAS service suppliers, the rule's exact geographic footprint will shape day-to-day route planning.

Who has standing in the comment process

Class I, II and III freight railroads, passenger carriers and short-line operators would each have a procedural stake in the final shape of the rule. Industry associations including the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the American Short Line and Railroad Association (ASLRRA) typically coordinate comments on regulatory actions of this scale.

Drone operators, commercial UAS service suppliers and the pilots who fly under Part 107 also have standing. Any pending beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) authorizations and waiver applications would need to be re-evaluated against the new boundaries once published.

Open questions for the industry

• Which site categories will the rule cover — yards, intermodal terminals, fueling points, signal control locations?
• Will restrictions apply continuously, or only during operational hours?
• What enforcement authority and penalty structure apply for violations?
• How will existing Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) interact with permanent infrastructure protections added by this action?

Implementation still depends on rulemaking

A USDOT proposal carries no immediate operational effect. Restrictions take force only after the FAA completes notice-and-comment, charts any new restricted airspace, and publishes compliance guidance. Until then, pilots and railroads continue under existing Part 107 limits and any site-specific FAA restrictions already in force.

The Progressive Railroading notice signals that stakeholders can expect a defined comment window once the rule publishes, with industry filings expected to focus on both the scope of covered sites and the operational mechanics of enforcement.