[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 75 (Monday, April 21, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 16766]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-06847]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Number FRA-2019-0016]
Notice of Petition for Extension of 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 Conrail
petitioned FRA for an extension of relief from certain regulations
concerning periodic testing requirements on vital microprocessor-based
systems.
DATES: FRA must receive comments on the petition by May 21, 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: Scott Johnson, Railroad Safety
Specialist, FRA Signal, Train Control, and Crossings Division,
telephone: 406-657-6642, email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under part 211 of title 49 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR), this document provides the public notice that by
letter dated January 13, 2025, Conrail petitioned FRA for an extension
of a waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Federal
railroad safety regulations contained at 49 CFR part 236 (Rules,
Standards, and Instructions Governing the Installation, Inspection,
Maintenance, and Repair of Signal and Train Control Systems, Devices,
and Appliances). The relevant Docket Number is FRA-2019-0016.
Specifically, Conrail seeks an extension of relief from the 2-year
periodic testing requirements in Sec. Sec. 236.109, Time releases,
timing relays, and timing devices; 236.377, Approach locking; 236.378,
Time locking; 236.379, Route locking; 236.380, Indication locking; and
236.381, Traffic locking, related to vital microprocessor-based
systems. The existing relief extends the testing requirements in these
sections from ``at least once every 2 years'' to every 4 years, after
initial testing is completed.
As stated in FRA's September 20, 2019 decision letter, Conrail had
asserted ``the logic does not change once a microprocessor-based system
has been tested, and locking tests are documented on installation.''
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 May 21, 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://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. 2025-06847 Filed 4-18-25; 8:45 am]
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