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{{Short description|Railway operating rulebook}}

The '''General Code of Operating Rules''' ('''GCOR''') is a set of operating rules for railroads in the [[United States]]. The GCOR is used by [[Class I railroad]]s west of the [[Mississippi River]], most of the [[Class II railroad]]s, and many [[Short-line railroad]]s.

The '''General Code of Operating Rules''' ('''GCOR''') is a set of operating rules for railroads in the [[United States]]. The GCOR is used by [[Class I railroad]]s west of [[Chicago]], most of the [[Class II railroad]]s, and many [[Short-line railroad]]s.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |orig-date=20 Apr 2018 |title=The General Code of Operating Rules (GCOR) |url=https://www.trains.com/grw/beginners/the-general-code-of-operating-rules-gcor/ |access-date=2023-05-17 |website=Garden Railways Magazine |publisher=[[Kalmbach Media]] (which owns "Trains.com") |language=en-US}}</ref>

Some railroads in the northeast United States follow [[NORAC]], while [[Canada]] and [[Mexico]] have their own set of operating rules that govern their railroad operations.<ref name=":0" />

==Overview==

The GCOR 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. Some [[railroad]]srailroads modify the GCOR rules to suit their specific operations.

The GCOR is supplemented by System Special Instructions, [[Timetables]], Hazardous Materials Instructions, Air Brake and Train Handling Instructions, and General Orders. These documents are issued by each individual railroad. System Special instructions, [[Timetables]], and General Order can modify or amend the General Code of Operating Rules. GCOR 1.3.2 states that General Orders replace any rule, special instruction, or regulation that conflicts with the general order.<ref>{{cite book|title=General Code of Operating Rules|year=20102015}}</ref>

Some railroads will maintain what they call a "living rulebook." As amendments are released via general order or special instruction, they will update the specific page that was affected.<ref name=":0" /> An example of this is the Union Pacific, which maintains a copy of the GCOR with page-by-page amendments.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.up.com/ert/gcor.pdf |title=UPRR - General Code of Operating Rules |date=20 Apr 2023 |publisher=[[Union Pacific]] |edition=Seventh, amended |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230517230549/https://www.up.com/ert/gcor.pdf |archive-date=17 May 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The current version of the GCOR is the Eighth Edition, effective April 1, 2020.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=August 2019 |title=Alaska Railroad hosts national GCOR committee |url=https://insidetrack.akrr.com/web/NEWS/AllAboard/2019_08_AllAboard.pdf |journal=All Aboard |publisher=[[Alaska Railroad]] |pages=3 |access-date=17 May 2023}}</ref>

Most railroads are using the Sixth Edition, Effective April 7, 2010.

==Adopted by==

{{refimprove|date=August 2012}}

<div style=" -moz-column-count: 3;">

*Acadiana Railway company

*Adrian & Blissfield Rail Road Company

*Alabama & Golf Coast Railway

*Alabama Southern Railroad

*[[Alabama & Tennessee River Railway|Alabama & Tennessee River Railway, LLC.]]

*Alabama Warrior Railroad

*Alaska Railroad Corporation

*Albany & Eastern Railroad Company

*Aliquippa & Ohio River Railroad

*[[Alliance Terminal Railroad|Alliance Terminal Railway, LLC]]

*Altamont Commuter Express Rail Authority

*Alton & Southern Railway

*[[Amtrak]]—Chicago Terminal

*[[Amtrak]]—Michigan Line

*[[Amtrak]]—NOUPT

*AN Railway

*Apache Railway Company

*A&R Terminal Railroad Company

*Arizona & California Railroad

*Arizona and California Railway Company

*Arizona Central Railroad

*Arizona Eastern Railway Company

*Arkansas Louisiana & Mississippi Railroad

*Arkansas Midland Railroad Company Inc.

*Arkansas & Missouri Railroad Comppany

*Arkansas Southern Railroad

*Ashtabula, Carson & Jefferson Railroad

*AT&L Railroad Company

*Atlantic & Western Railway

*Austin Western Railroad

*Baton Rouge Southern Railroad

*Bauxite & Northern Railway

*Bay Line Railroad

*Belt Railway Company of Chicago

*BHP Nevada Railway Company

*Blackwell Northern Gateway Railroad

*[[BNSF Railway]]

*Boise Valley Railroad

*Buckingham Branch Railroad

*Buffalo & Pittsburg Railroad

*California Northern Railroad

*California Western Railroad

*Camas Prairie RailNet, Inc.

*[[Canadian Pacific]]

*Caney Fork & Western Railroad

*Canon City and Royal Gorge Railroad

*Carolina Piedmont Railroad

*Carrizo Gorge Railway

*Cascade and Columbia River Railroad

*Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway Company

*Central California Traction Company

*Central Illinois Railroad

*Central Kansas Railway

*Central Midland Railway

*Central Montana Rail

*Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad, Inc.

*Central Railroad of Indiana

*Central Railroad of Indianapolis

*Charlotte Southern Railroad Company

*Chattahoochee Bay Railroad

*Chattahoochee Industrial Railroad

*Chattooga & Chicamauga Railway

*Chesapeake & Albemarle Railroad Company, Inc.

*Chicago, Ft. Wayne & Eastern Railroad

*[[Chicago Rail Link]]

*Chicago SouthShore & South Bend Railroad

*City of Prineville Railway

*C&NC Railroad Corporation

*Columbia Basin Railroad Co.

*Columbia and Cowlitz Railway

*Columbia Terminal

*Columbus & Greenville Railway

*Columbus & Ohio River Railroad

*Commonwealth Railway

*Connecticut Southern Railroad

*Corpus Christi Terminal Railroad

*Council Bluffs Railway

*D&I Railroad

*Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad

*Dakota, Missouri Valley & Western Railroad, Inc.

*Dakota Southern Railway

*Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad, Inc.

*Dardanelle & Russellville Railroad

*Decatur Junction Railway Company

*Denver Rock Island Railroad

*DeQueen & Eastern Railroad Company

*Detroit Connecting Railroad Company

*East Tennessee Railway

*Eastern Alabama Railway

*[[Eastern Idaho Railroad]]

*Ellis & Eastern Company

*Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad

*Farmrail Corporation

*First Coast Railroad

*Florida East Coast Railway

*Fordyce & Princeton Railroad

*Fort Worth & Western Railroad

*Fox Valley & Western

*Fulton County Railway, LLC

*Galveston Railroad

*Gateway Western Railway

*Georgetown Railroad Company

*Georgia Central Railway

*Georgia & Florida Railway

*Georgia Southwestern Railroad, Inc.

*Georgia Woodlands Railroad

*Golden Isles Terminal Railroad

*Golden Triangle Railroad

*Grain Belt Corp

*Grand Canyon Railway

*Grand Elk Railroad

*Grand Rapids Eastern Railroad

*Great Northwest Railroad

*Great Western Railway

*Gulf Colorado & San Saba Railroad

*Huron and Eastern Railway Company, Inc.

*Hutchinson and Northern Railway Company

*Idaho Northern & Pacific Railroad Company

*Illinois & Midland Railroad, Inc.

*Illinois Railway, Inc.

*Indiana & Ohio Railway

*Indiana Rail Road Company

*Indiana Southern Railroad

*International Bridge & Terminal Company

*Iowa Chicago & Eastern Railroad

*Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd.

*Iowa Northern Railway Company

*Jaxport Terminal Railway

*[[Kansas City Southern Railway]]

*Kansas City Terminal Railway Company

*Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad

*Kaw River Railroad

*Kentucky West Tennessee Railway

*Keokuk Junction Railway Company

*[[Kettle Falls International Railway|Kettle Falls International Railway, LLC]]

*Kiamichi Railroad

*Kyle Railroad Company

*Lahaina Kaanapali & Pacific Railroad

*Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad

*Lapeer Industrial Railroad Company

*Lewis and Clark Railway Company

*[[Little Rock and Western Railway|Little Rock and Western Railway, LP]]

*Longview Switching Company

*[[Los Angeles Junction Railway]]

*Louisiana and Delta Railroad Company

*[[Louisiana Southern Railroad]]

*Luxapalila Valley Railroad

*Mahoning Valley Railroad

*Manufacturers Junction Railway

*[[Maryland Midland Railway]]

*Maumee & Western Railroad

*McCloud Railway Company

*Meridian and Bigbee Railroad

*Michigan Shore Railroad

*Mid-Michigan Railroad, Inc.

*Minnesota, Dakota & Western Railway Company

*Minnesota Northern Railroad, Inc.

*Minnesota Commercial Railway Company

*Minnesota Prairie Line Incorporated

*Minnesota Valley Transportation Company

*Mississippi & Tennessee RailNet, Inc.

*Missouri & Northern Arkansas RR Company, Inc.

*Missouri & Valley Park Railroad

*Modesto & Empire Traction Company

*[[Montana Rail Link]]

*Mount Vernon Terminal Railway, Inc.

*Napa Valley Railroad Company

*Nebkota Railway, Inc.

*Nebraska Central Railroad Company

*Nebraska, Kansas & Colorado RailNet

*Nebraska Northeastern Railway Company

*New England Central Railroad, Inc.

*Newburgh & South Shore Railroad Company

*New Orleans & Gulf Coast Railway Company

*New Orleans Lower Coast Railroad

*New Orleans Public Belt Railroad

*North Carolina & Virginia Railroad Company, Inc.

*Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corp.

*Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District

*Northern Ohio & Western Railway

*Northern Plains Railroad

*Otter Tail Valley Railroad Company, Inc.

*Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railroad Company

*Pacific Harbor Line

*Palouse River and Coulee City Railroad

*Pecos Valley Southern Railway Company

*[[Pend Oreille Valley Railroad]]

*Pennsylvania & Southwestern Railroad

*Pittsburgh Industrial Railroad

*Point Comfort & Northern Railway Company

*Port Bienville Railroad

*Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad

*Portland & Western Railroad

*Portland Terminal Railroad Company

*Progressive Rail Inc.

*Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad

*Rarus Railway, Inc.

*Red River Valley & Western Railroad Co.

*Richmond Pacific Railroad

*Rio Valley Switching Company

*Saginaw Valley Railroad Company

*Sand Springs Railway Company

*San Diego & Imperial Valley Railroad Company, Inc.

*San Diego Northern Railway

*San Joaquin Valley Railroad Co., Inc.

*San Luis Central Railroad Company

*San Pedro and Southwestern Railway Company

*Santa Cruz, Big Trees & Pacific Railway Company

*Santa Fe Southern Railway, Inc.

*Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Company

*SEMO Port Railroad

*Sierra Railroad Company

*South Carolina Central Railroad Company, Inc.

*South Central Tennessee Railroad

*South East Kansas Railroad

*South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad

*South Plains Lamesa Railroad Ltd.

*Southern Switching Company

*Southwestern Railroad Company, Inc.

*Southern California Regional Rail Authority

*St. Croix Valley Railroad Company

*St. Maries River Railroad Company

*Stillwater Central Railroad

*Tacoma Municipal Belt Line Railway

*Tecumseh Branch Connecting Railroad Company

*[[Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum]]

*Tennken Railroad Company Inc.

*Texas, Gonzales & Northern Railway Company

*Texas - New Mexico Division

*Texas North Western Railway Company

*Texas Northeastern Railroad

*Texas Rock Crusher Railway Co.

*Timber Rock Railroad

*Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway

*[[Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana]]

*Trinity Railway Express

*Trona Railway Company

*Tulare Valley Railroad

*Tulsa-Sapulpa Union Railway Company

*Twin Cities & Western Railroad Company

*[[Union Pacific Railroad]]

*United States Army Military Railroad System

*Utah Central Railway

*Utah Railway Company

*V&S Railroad Inc.

*Ventura County Railway Company

*Virginia Southern Division

*Wabash Central Railroad

*West Tennessee Railroad, LLC

*West Tennken Railroad Corp.

*West Texas and Lubbock Railroad

*Wichita, Tillman & Jackson Railway

*Willamette & Pacific Railroad, Inc.

*Willamette Valley Railroad

*Willamina and Grand Ronde Railway

*Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Company

*Wyoming/Colorado Railroad Company

*Yreka Western Railroad

</div><ref>{{cite web|title=General Code of Operating Rules (GCOR)|url=http://trainweb.com/gcor/index.html|accessdate=9 June 2013}}</ref>

==Categories==

The full set of GCOR rules is divided into 1719 categories.

#General Responsibilities

#Railroad Radio and Communication Rules

#''Section Reserved''

#[[Standard time|Standard Time]] **Some railroads may amend this item into the System Special Instructions.

#[[Public transport timetables|Timetables]]

#[[Railway signal|Signals]] and Their Use

Line 287 ⟶ 23:

#[[Shunt (railway operations)|Switching]]

#[[Railroad switch|Switches]]

#[[AbsoluteAutomatic Blockblock signaling|Block System Rules]]

#Rules Applicable onlyOnly in [[Centralized Traffic Control]] (CTC)

#Rules Applicable in ACS, ATC and ATS TerritoryTerritories

#Rules Applicable onlyOnly in [[Automatic train stop|Automatic Train Stop]] (ATS) Territory

#Rules Applicable onlyOnly in [[Cab signalling|Automatic Cab Signal]] System (ACS) Territory

#Rules Applicable onlyOnly withinWithin [[Track warrant|Track Warrant Control]] (TWC) Limits

#Track Bulletin Rules

#Rules Applicable onlyOnly in [[Direct traffic control|Direct Traffic Control]] (DTC) TerritoryLimits

#Rules Applicable Only in [[Automatic Train Control]] (ATC) Territory

#Rules Applicable Only in [[Positive Train Control]] (PTC) Territory

#''Section Reserved''

==See also==

*[[NORAC|Northeast Operating Rules Advisory Committee]]

*[[Canadian Rail Operating Rules]]

==External links==

*[http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/Research/ord9909.pdf U S Department of Transportation - Compliance with Railroad Operating Rules and Corporate Culture Influences, October 1999]

*[http://www.transchool.lee.army.mil/rail-safety/documents/GCOR_6th_ed.pdf General Code of Operating Rules, April 7, 2010]

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080917161233/http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/Research/ord9909.pdf U S Department of Transportation - Compliance with Railroad Operating Rules and Corporate Culture Influences, October 1999]

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130904121049/http://www.transchool.lee.army.mil/rail-safety/documents/GCOR_6th_ed.pdf General Code of Operating Rules, April 7, 2010]

*[http://fwwr.net/assets/gcor-effective-2015-04-01.pdf General Code of Operating Rules, April 1, 2015] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619012704/http://fwwr.net/assets/gcor-effective-2015-04-01.pdf |date=2018-06-19 }}

*[https://safety.army.mil/Portals/0/Documents/ON-DUTY/MILITARYOPERATIONSANDTRAINING/RAILPORTANDCARGO/Standard/GCOR_8ed_1APR20.pdf General Code of Operating Rules, April 1, 2020]

[[Category:Railway signaling in the United States]]

[[Category:Railway signaling in Canada]]

[[Category:Railway signaling in Mexico]]

[[Category:Railway safety]]