(a) To ensure that each railroad employee whose activities are governed by the railroad's operating rules understands those rules, the railroad periodically shall instruct each such employee on the meaning and application of its operating rules with a written program developed under § 299.13(c)(3) and retained at its system headquarters.

(b) Prior to commencing operations, the railroad shall file and retain one copy of its current program for the periodic instruction of its employees as required by paragraph (a) of this section and shall file and retain one copy of any amendment to that program as amendments are made. These records shall be retained at the railroad's system headquarters for one calendar year after the end of the calendar year to which they relate. These records shall be made available to representatives of the FRA for inspection and copying during normal business hours. This program shall—

(1) Describe the means and procedures used for instruction of the various classes of affected employees;

(2) State the frequency of instruction and the basis for determining that frequency;

(3) Include a schedule for completing the initial instruction of employees who are already employed when the program begins;

(4) Begin on the date of commencing operations; and

(5) Provide for initial instruction of each employee hired after the program begins.

(c) The railroad is authorized to retain by electronic recordkeeping its program for periodic instruction of its employees on operating rules, provided that the requirements stated in § 299.11 are satisfied.