[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 50 (Monday, March 17, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12446-12447]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-04272]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Number FRA-2014-0124]
Notice of Petition To Modify a Waiver of Compliance
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This document provides the public notice that by letter
received December 10, 2024, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation
(Amtrak) petitioned FRA for relief from a condition required by FRA's
August 9, 2016 decision letter in this docket.
DATES: FRA must receive comments on the petition by April 16, 2025. FRA
will consider comments received after that date to the extent
practicable.
ADDRESSES:
Comments: Comments related to this docket may be submitted by going
to https://www.regulations.gov and following the online instructions
for submitting comments.
Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and
docket number. All comments received will be posted without change to
https://www.regulations.gov; this includes any personal information.
Please see the Privacy Act heading in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section of this document for Privacy Act information related to any
submitted comments or materials.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov and follow the
online instructions for accessing the docket.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Hunter, Executive Staff
Director, FRA Office of Railroad Systems and Technology, telephone:
202-493-0368, email: michael.hunter@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under part 211 of title 49 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR), this document provides the public notice that by
letter received December 10, 2024, Amtrak petitioned FRA for relief
from a condition required by FRA's August 9, 2016 decision letter in
Docket Number FRA-2014-0124.\1\ The waiver in this docket allows Amtrak
to operate trainsets built to Tier III standards, subject to specific
conditions.
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\1\ See https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2014-0124-0012.
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Specifically, Amtrak seeks relief from condition 11a of FRA's
decision letter, concerning roadway work hazards, which states,
``Amtrak must enact an appropriate speed restriction, not to exceed 125
mph, for all Tier III trainsets when passing roadway working limits on
adjacent track.''
In its petition, Amtrak states that, through its ``analysis to
determine the impact Condition 11a has on [Northeast Corridor (NEC)]
safety,'' it found that Amtrak's planned risk mitigations will have
greater positive impacts on both safety and NEC maintainability and
operations. Amtrak plans to enact risk mitigations to include right-of-
way barrier and fencing improvements, investment in technologies to
reduce the risk of maintenance-of-way collisions, and system-wide
procedural safety updates. Because of these planned improvements,
Amtrak explains it has determined that condition 11a is no longer
needed and that trainsets can operate ``at speeds up to 160 mph in
designated high-speed zones.''
A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications
concerning the petition, is available for review online at
www.regulations.gov.
Interested parties are invited to participate in these proceedings
by submitting written views, data, or comments. FRA does not anticipate
scheduling a public hearing in connection with these proceedings since
the facts do not appear to warrant a hearing. If any interested party
desires an opportunity for oral comment and a public hearing, they
should notify FRA, in writing, before the end of the comment period and
specify the basis for their request.
Communications received by April 16, 2025 will be considered by FRA
before final action is taken. Comments received after that date will be
considered if practicable.
Privacy Act
Anyone can search the electronic form of any written communications
and comments received into any of FRA's dockets by the name of the
individual submitting the comment (or signing the document, if
submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.).
Under 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to inform
its processes. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any
personal information the commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as
described in the system of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can
be reviewed at https://
[[Page 12447]]
www.transportation.gov/privacy. See also https://www.regulations.gov/privacy-notice for the privacy notice of regulations.gov.
Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2025-04272 Filed 3-14-25; 8:45 am]
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