Federal Railroad Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information Collection Request (ICR) summarized below. Before submitting this ICR to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified in the ICR.

On May 31, 2023, FRA published an NPRM proposing to require railroads to develop written programs for certifying signal employees and to submit those written certification programs to FRA for approval prior to implementation. On July 5, 2023, FRA published a notice extending the comment period by 30 days. By this notice, FRA is extending the NPRM's comment period by an additional 15 days.

This notice details the application requirements and procedures for the states of Alaska, South Dakota, and Wyoming to obtain Special Transportation Circumstances (STC) directed grant funding for eligible rail Capital Projects. The funding has been made available for the program by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017; Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019; Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020; Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021; Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022; Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023; and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2022 and 2023 supplemental Appropriations) (together, the Appropriations Acts). The opportunities described in this notice are available under Assistance Listing number 20.325, ``Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements.'' Alaska, South Dakota, and Wyoming must each submit applications for projects meeting the requirements of this notice to receive directed funding. Should FRA identify additional available funding after the release of this NOFO, FRA may elect to award such additional funding to a project submitted for funding under this NOFO, as permitted by law.

This document provides the public with notice that on July 25, 2023, North County Transit District (NCTD) submitted a request to field test its new Crash Energy Management (CEM) Bi-Level cab cars that have been equipped with NCTD's Interoperable Electronic Train Management System (I-ETMS) technology. FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on NCTD's request to test its positive train control (PTC) system.

This document provides the public with notice that, on July 20, 2023, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) submitted a request for amendment (RFA) to its FRA-certified positive train control (PTC) system in order to establish an Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System II (ACSES II) Construction Zone (CZ) to support the construction of an extension of the Patchogue Siding and associated signal system changes for LIRR's modification of the current track infrastructure. FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on the railroad's RFA to its PTC system.

This document provides the public with notice that, on July 14, 2023, the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) submitted a request for amendment (RFA) to its FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plan (PTCSP) in order to add information on UP's Arrangement of its Onboard positive train control (PTC) Apparatus, to correct regulatory reference formatting, and to add a PTCSP section reference. As this RFA may involve a request for FRA's approval of proposed material modifications to an FRA-certified PTC system, FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on UP's RFA to its PTCSP.

On July 5, 2023, FRA published a 30-day notice of information collection; request for comment in the Federal Register. FR Doc. 2023- 08413. Due to technical issues as the result of which FRA did not receive two timely-filed comment letters until after the comment period closed, FRA is withdrawing the July 5, 2023, notice of information collection; request for comment and re-issuing the 30-day notice to address the two additional comments. Accordingly, this notice supersedes the July 5, 2023, notice.

This document provides the public with notice that on June 28, 2023, twenty host railroads submitted a joint request for amendment (RFA) to their FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plans (PTCSP). The RFA proposes an alternative to the definition of ``initial terminal.'' As this joint RFA involves a request for FRA's approval of a proposed material modification to FRA-certified positive train control (PTC) systems, FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on the railroads' joint RFA to their PTCSPs.

On May 31, 2023, FRA published an NPRM proposing to require railroads to develop written programs for certifying individuals who work as dispatchers on their networks and to submit those written certification programs to FRA for approval prior to implementation. By this notice, FRA is extending the NPRM's comment period by 30 days.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below. Before submitting this ICR to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified in the ICR.

This document provides the public with notice that, on June 14, 2023, Caltrain (PCMZ) submitted a request to field test its Stadler KISS Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) that have been equipped with PCMZ's Interoperable Electronic Train Management System (I-ETMS) technology. FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on PCMZ's request to test its positive train control (PTC) system.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, this notice announces that FRA is forwarding the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the information collection and its expected burden. On March 24, 2023, FRA published a notice providing a 60-day period for public comment on the ICR.

On March 3, 2023, in response to a series of rail accidents suspected of being caused by burnt journal bearings, FRA published Safety Advisory 2023-01 addressing the use and maintenance of hot bearing detectors (HBDs). Since publication of that Safety Advisory, FRA has continued to evaluate railroads' use of HBDs and on May 10, 2023, in New Castle, Pennsylvania, another accident occurred that is suspected of being the result of a burnt journal bearing. Preliminary information related to this most recent accident shows that the train involved passed a HBD which alarmed prior to the accident. Accordingly, FRA is issuing this Notice to supplement Safety Advisory 2023-01 with one additional recommendation. Specifically, this Notice adds a fifth recommendation to Safety Advisory 2023-01 recommending that railroads take action to evaluate the resiliency and accuracy of the overall process used to monitor and measure bearing health.

FRA proposes regulations for the certification of signal employees, pursuant to the authority granted in section 402 of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

On April 3, 2023, FRA published an NPRM proposing to amend its Passenger Equipment Safety Standards to modernize Tier I and Tier III safety appliance requirements; update the pre-revenue compliance documentation and testing requirements; establish crashworthiness requirements for individual Tier I-compliant vehicles equipped with crash energy management; establish standards for Tier III inspection, testing, and maintenance and movement of defective equipment; incorporate general safety requirements from FRA's Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards for Tier III trainsets; and provide for periodic inspection of emergency lighting to ensure proper functioning. By this notice, FRA is extending the NPRM's comment period, which will close on June 2, 2023, by 60 days.

This document provides the public with notice that, on May 9, 2023, Metro-North Railroad (MNR) submitted a request for amendment (RFA) to its FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plan (PTCSP). As this RFA involves a request for FRA's approval of proposed material modifications to an FRA-certified positive train control (PTC) system, FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on the railroad's RFA to its PTCSP.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, this notice announces that FRA is forwarding the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the information collection and its expected burden. On March 2, 2023, FRA published a notice providing a 60-day period for public comment on the ICR.