Sec. 42.5  Preparation and preservation of reproductions of original 
          records.

    (a) Each carrier may use a retention medium of its choice to 
preserve records in lieu of original records, provided that they observe 
the requirements of paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section.
    (b) A paper or microfilm record need not be created to satisfy the 
requirements of this part if the record is initially prepared in 
machine-readable medium such as punched cards, magnetic tapes, and 
disks. Each record kept in a machine-readable medium shall be 
accompanied by a statement clearly indicating the type of data included 
in the record and certifying that the information contained in it has 
been accurately duplicated. This statement shall be executed by a person 
duplicating the records. The records shall be indexed and retained in 
such a manner that they are easily accessible, and the carrier shall 
have the facilities available to locate, identify and reproduce the 
records in readable form without loss of clarity.
    (c) Records may be retained on microfilm provided they meet the 
requirements of the Federal Business Records Act (28 U.S.C. 1732).