Executive Summary
CBP's October 13, 2026, proposal would require notices and traveler information for international passenger and cargo trains carrying anyone across the U.S. border, including trains crossing in transit.
The train notice would be due at least 24 hours before the border crossing, while each traveler’s information would be due at least 60 minutes before departure.
The proposal is not a current filing requirement. Comments are due December 14, 2026, and CBP has not set an effective date for any final rule.
Carriers using interactive data transmission would also have to report who actually boarded within 30 minutes after departure; the proposed exemption is limited to active-duty U.S. military personnel on orders aboard a U.S. Department of War-chartered train.
Rail advance traveler information is not a current requirement, but CBP proposes to require it for cross-border trains carrying passengers or crew, including cargo trains and trains crossing the border in transit. The proposed rule on advance traveler information for rail, published October 13, 2026, would require both an advance train notice and individual traveler data. Comments are due December 14, 2026; the proposal sets no effective date.
The rulemaking would apply to inbound and outbound trips. Rail carriers could authorize another party to transmit information, but the carrier would remain responsible for its accuracy, completeness and timely submission (proposed sections 123.101 to 123.103).
Which Rail Trains Does CBP's Proposal Cover?
The proposal applies to a train carrying any traveler across the U.S. border, whether the trip is inbound or outbound. “Traveler” includes passengers and crew, and the proposed definition of “train” includes both passenger and freight conveyances used for commercial or private transportation. A train crossing the border while in transit is included, even if it is not stopping to pick up or discharge travelers in the United States (proposed sections 123.100 to 123.103).
That means the proposal is not limited to passenger services. A cargo train carrying crew would have to report those travelers, even though CBP’s existing electronic cargo information requirements are not being changed by this proposal. The proposal would also allow a train arriving without commercial cargo to avoid separately presenting individual car manifests and a train sheet if the carrier has provided the required subpart K information. Trains with commercial cargo would still need a consist as part of the cargo manifest process (proposed amendment to section 123.6; section IV.I).
The proposed exemption is narrow: no information would be required for active-duty U.S. military personnel traveling on orders as travelers aboard a U.S. Department of War-chartered train. It is not a general exemption for military travelers or trains (proposed section 123.105).
When Must Rail Carriers Send CBP Each Filing?
A carrier would send the train’s arrival or departure notice no later than 24 hours before the train reaches the U.S. border crossing location. The 24-hour deadline applies to inbound and outbound trips, and the notice would report train details such as its route, scheduled stops, estimated border arrival and a knowledgeable 24-hour emergency contact (proposed section 123.101).
The traveler information has a separate deadline: no later than 60 minutes before departure. For this rule, departure means the point when the train doors are closed and the train leaves its last station or stop before crossing the U.S. border. The carrier would report each traveler on board, including crew, and would need to update information when travelers or trip details change before the border crossing (proposed sections 123.100, 123.102 and 123.103).
If an estimated border arrival changes by 30 minutes or more, the carrier would have to update the notice and contact CBP at the crossing location to confirm inspection resources. If the change occurs after departure, contact is due before arrival at the crossing. When a carrier uses an interactive transmission method, it would also send a close-out message identifying everyone who boarded, no later than 30 minutes after departure (proposed sections 123.101(d) and 123.104(a)(3)).
What Traveler Data Would CBP Require From Rail Carriers?
The proposed information includes each traveler’s name, birth date, sex, citizenship and residence; status on the train; itinerary; and U.S. address, except for a traveler in transit to a location outside the country. Carriers would also report DHS-approved travel document details when a document is required, plus applicable alien registration, passenger name record, known traveler, redress and baggage tag information. Seat location is required if available (proposed sections 123.102(c) and 123.103(c)).
Carriers would have to request a contact phone number, including country code, and an email address. They would transmit either contact detail only if the traveler provides it. They would also compare presented travel documents with the information being sent, checking that the information matches, the document appears valid for travel and the traveler is the person to whom it was issued (proposed sections 123.102(c), 123.102(f), 123.103(c) and 123.103(f)).
CBP would return a response saying either that the transmission was accepted or that the carrier must contact CBP before departure. CBP could recommend that a carrier not transport a traveler after unresolved concerns, but the carrier would retain authority to decide whom to transport. Carriers could use a CBP-certified system or a CBP-approved electronic data interchange system. In unforeseen circumstances, CBP could permit an alternative such as telephone submission on a limited, case-by-case basis (proposed sections 123.102(d), 123.103(d) and 123.104).
What Dates Apply to CBP's Rail Filing Proposal?
- Proposal published: October 13, 2026. CBP published the proposed rule in the Federal Register.
- Comments due: December 14, 2026. The notice sets this deadline for comments on the proposal.
- Effective date: Not set. This is a proposed rule, not a requirement in force.
How Should Rail Carriers Prepare Comments or Systems?
Map covered trips. Identify inbound and outbound train movements, including trains in transit, and distinguish passenger services from cargo trains that carry crew.
Test the timing against operations. Compare the 24-hour notice deadline and 60-minute traveler-data deadline with schedules, boarding points, stops and the proposed definition of departure. Plan how to transmit changes before the train crosses the border and how an interactive system would identify actual boarders after departure.
Assess data and document controls. Check whether booking and crew processes can collect the listed information, request contact details, verify travel documents and transmit revisions. Decide whether to pursue a CBP-certified system or use a CBP-approved system, and identify any need for CBP approval of an alternative transmission procedure.
Submit focused comments by December 14. Use the Federal eRulemaking Portal and identify docket USCBP-2026-0992. Address a specific proposed provision, explain the requested change and support it with operational data or other evidence, as CBP requests.
What Does CBP's Rail Proposal Leave Unresolved?
The proposal does not establish an effective date or say what the final rule will require after comments. CBP invites comments on operational effects, costs, data collection and burden estimates; the final requirements, any implementation period and any changes from this proposal remain unresolved. Carriers should treat the filing deadlines and system obligations described above as proposed, not as current obligations.
Sources
- Advance Traveler Information for Rail, Federal Register
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