Operational Tests and Inspections for Compliance With Maximum Authorized Train Speeds and Other Speed Restrictions, 76191-76192 [2013-29762]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2013 / Notices
submission of additional grants under
this program based on the Notice of
Funding Availability published by FRA
on 10/13/2013 and the emergency
clearance request approved by OMB on
11/05/2013. Any grants submitted as
part of this previous ICR were due by
December 9, 2013. Therefore, this
revision no longer includes any burden
hours for the application process, as no
new applications are being accepted at
this time.
Due to the nature of these disaster
assistance funds, current economic
conditions, and the various States need
for immediate assistance to vital freight
transportation pathways and the
important role these sectors of
transportation play in the overall
national economy, FRA is requesting
OMB to extend this ICR in order to
manage the current grants obligated
under this program until the remaining
grants have properly closed-out and are
completed.
Form Number(s): SF–425, SF–271,
SF–270.
Affected Public: Railroads,
Businesses, States/Local governments.
Reporting Burden: Close-out
Procedures.
Respondent Universe: 49.
Total Annual Responses: 6.
Average time per response: 84.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 504.
Pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and
5 CFR 1320.5(b), 1320.8(b)(3)(vi), FRA
informs all interested parties that it may
not conduct or sponsor, and a
respondent is not required to respond
to, a collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid OMB control
number.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520.
Issued in Washington, DC, on December 3,
2013.
Rebecca Pennington,
Chief Financial Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013–29769 Filed 12–13–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
[Safety Advisory 2013–08]
Operational Tests and Inspections for
Compliance With Maximum Authorized
Train Speeds and Other Speed
Restrictions
Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of safety advisory;
Operational tests and inspections for
compliance with maximum authorized
AGENCY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
13:51 Dec 13, 2013
Jkt 232001
train speeds and other speed
restrictions.
FRA is issuing Safety
Advisory 2013–08 to stress to railroads
and their employees the importance of
compliance with Federal regulations
and applicable railroad operating rules
regarding maximum authorized train
speed limits and any relevant speed
restrictions. This safety advisory
contains five recommendations to
railroads to ensure that compliance with
maximum authorized speeds and other
speed restrictions are addressed by
appropriate railroad operating policies
and procedures and to ensure that those
policies and procedures are effectively
implemented.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Thomas Herrmann, Acting Director,
Office of Safety Assurance and
Compliance, Office of Railroad Safety,
FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202)
493–6037.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
overall safety of railroad operations has
improved in recent years. However, the
recent fatal accident in Spuyten Duyvil,
Bronx, New York, which is the subject
of FRA’s Emergency Order No. 29,
highlights the need to ensure that speed
restrictions mandated by Federal
regulation and those imposed by a
railroad’s own operating rules are
adhered to. That accident also
demonstrates the importance of
operational testing that pertains to
ensuring employee compliance with
applicable speed limitations and
restrictions.
SUMMARY:
Metro-North Spuyten Duyvil
Derailment
On Sunday, December 1, 2013, MetroNorth passenger train 8808 (Train 8808)
was traveling south from Poughkeepsie,
New York, to Grand Central Terminal in
New York City when, at approximately
7:20 a.m., the train derailed as it
approached the Spuyten Duyvil Station.
The train consisted of seven passenger
coach cars, including a control cab
locomotive in the lead position, and a
conventional locomotive at the rear of
the train, operating in a push-pull
configuration (a control cab locomotive
is both a passenger car, in that it has
seats for passengers, and a locomotive,
in that it has a control cab from which
the engineer can operate the train). Each
of the seven cars derailed along with the
trailing locomotive. As of December 6,
the derailment has resulted in four
fatalities and more than 60 reported
injuries.
As is customary, the National
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has
PO 00000
Frm 00092
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
76191
taken the lead role in conducting the
investigation of this accident pursuant
to its legal authority. 49 U.S.C. 1101 et
seq.; 49 CFR 800.3(a), 831.2(b). FRA is
also investigating the accident. As Train
8808 approached the Spuyten Duyvil
Station from the north, it traveled over
a straightaway with a maximum
authorized passenger train speed of 70
mph before reaching a sharp curve in
the track where, by the railroad’s own
rules, the maximum authorized speed
was reduced to 30 mph. A preliminary
review of the information on the
locomotive event recorders by NTSB
indicates that the train was traveling
approximately 82 mph as it entered the
curve’s 30-mph speed restriction. This
means Train 8808 was exceeding the
maximum authorized speed on the
straightaway by 12 mph and traveling
nearly three times the railroad’s
maximum authorized speed as it
entered the curve. Information obtained
from the train’s event recorders also
indicates that approximately six
seconds before the locomotive came to
a stop, the locomotive throttle was
placed in idle and an application of the
train’s brake system was made.
FRA’s accident statistics reveal that
the railroad industry’s recent safety
record with regard to this area of
compliance on main tracks is good, but
FRA believes the December 1 accident
highlights the need to remain vigilant in
ensuring employee compliance with
operational speed limits and restrictions
for trains and locomotives. As such,
FRA intends to focus its inspections on
railroad operational testing activity over
the next several months on compliance
with maximum authorized train speeds
and relevant speed restrictions. FRA
strongly encourages railroads and other
industry members to re-emphasize the
importance of compliance with
maximum authorized train speeds and
any applicable speed restrictions, and to
conduct operational testing at a level
that will ensure compliance with all
posted speed restrictions.
Recommended Railroad Action: In
light of the recent accident discussed
above, and in an effort to ensure the
safety of the Nation’s railroads, their
employees, and the general public, FRA
recommends that railroads do each of
the following:
(1) Review the circumstances of the
December 1, 2013, Spuyten Duyvil
derailment with each of their operating
employees.
(2) Provide instruction to their
employees during training classes and
safety briefings on the importance of
compliance with maximum authorized
train speed limits and other speed
restrictions. This training should
E:\FR\FM\16DEN1.SGM
16DEN1
76192
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2013 / Notices
pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
include discussion of the railroad’s
absolute speed limits, speed restrictions
based on physical characteristics,
temporary speed restrictions, and any
other restrictions commonly
encountered.
(3) Remind their employees that
Federal railroad safety regulation, at 49
CFR 240.305(a)(2) and 242.403(e)(2),
prohibits the operation of a locomotive
or train at a speed which exceeds the
maximum authorized speed by at least
10 mph.
(4) Evaluate quarterly and 6-month
reviews of operational testing data as
required by 49 CFR 217.9. A railroad
should consider increasing the
frequency of operational testing where
its reviews show any non-compliance
with maximum authorized train speeds.
A significant number of operational
tests should be conducted on trains that
are required to reduce speed by more
than 20 mph from the maximum
authorized train speed. Operational tests
should use the reliable methods
available, such as reviewing locomotive
event recorder data and testing by radar
to verify compliance with maximum
authorized speeds.
(5) Reinforce the importance of
communication between train
crewmembers located in the controlling
locomotive, particularly during safety
critical periods when multiple tasks are
occurring (e.g., copying mandatory
directives, closely approaching or
passing fixed signals and/or cab signals
at a reduced speed, approaching
locations where the train’s movement
authority is being restricted, during
radio conversations with other
employees or job briefings about track
characteristics) and during extended
periods of inactivity.
FRA encourages all railroad industry
members to take actions consistent with
the preceding recommendations. FRA
may modify this Safety Advisory 2013–
08, issue additional safety advisories, or
take other appropriate action necessary
to ensure the highest level of safety on
the Nation’s railroads, including pursing
other corrective measures under its rail
safety authority.
Issued in Washington, DC on December 10,
2013.
Robert C. Lauby,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety
and Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013–29762 Filed 12–13–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
VerDate Mar<15>2010
13:51 Dec 13, 2013
Jkt 232001
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[Docket No. AB 290 (Sub-No. 359X)]
Norfolk Southern Railway Company—
Discontinuance of Service
Exemption—in Isle of Wight,
Southampton, Greensville, and
Brunswick Counties, VA.
On November 26, 2013, Norfolk
Southern Railway Company (NSR) filed
with the Surface Transportation Board
(Board) a petition under 49 U.S.C. 10502
for exemption from the provisions of 49
U.S.C. 10903 to discontinue service over
approximately 53.2 miles of rail line,
extending from milepost FD 37.0 near
Franklin to the end of the line at
milepost FD 90.2 at Edgerton, in Isle of
Wight, Southampton (including the
independent City of Franklin),
Greensville (including the independent
City of Emporia), and Brunswick
Counties, Va. (the Line). The Line
traverses United States Postal Service
Zip Codes 23829, 23837, 23844, 23847,
23851, 23856, and 23868, and includes
the stations of Lawrenceville, Edgerton,
Kingsberry, Emporia, Green Plain,
Drewryville, Capron, and Courtland.
According to the petition, the Line is
stub-ended and therefore not capable of
handling overhead traffic.
NSR states that, based on information
in its possession, the Line does not
contain federally granted rights-of-way.
Any documentation in NSR’s possession
will be made available promptly to
those requesting it.
The interest of railroad employees
will be protected by the conditions set
forth in Oregon Short Line Railroad—
Abandonment Portion Goshen Branch
Between Firth & Ammon, in Bingham &
Bonneville Counties, Idaho, 360 I.C.C.
91 (1979).
By issuance of this notice, the Board
is instituting an exemption proceeding
pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10502(b). A final
decision will be issued by March 14,
2014.
Because this is a discontinuance
proceeding and not an abandonment
proceeding, interim trail use/rail
banking and public use conditions are
not appropriate. Similarly, no
environmental or historic
documentation is required under 49
CFR 1105.6(c)(2) and 1105.8(b).
Any offer of financial assistance
under 49 CFR 1152.27(b)(2) to subsidize
continued rail service will be due no
later than March 24, 2014, or 10 days
after service of a decision granting the
petition for exemption, whichever
occurs sooner. Each offer must be
PO 00000
Frm 00093
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
accompanied by a $1,600 filing fee. See
49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).
All filings in response to this notice
must refer to Docket No. AB 290 (SubNo. 359X) and must be sent to: (1)
Surface Transportation Board, 395 E
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20423–
0001; and (2) Robert A. Wimbish, Baker
& Miller PLLC, 2401 Pennsylvania
Avenue NW., Suite 300, Washington,
DC 20037. Replies to the petition are
due on or before January 6, 2014.
Persons seeking further information
concerning discontinuance procedures
may contact the Board’s Office of Public
Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and
Compliance at (202) 245–0238 or refer
to the full abandonment and
discontinuance regulations at 49 C.F.R.
pt. 1152. Questions concerning
environmental issues may be directed to
the Board’s Office of Environmental
Analysis (OEA) at (202) 245–0305.
[Assistance for the hearing impaired is
available through Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–
8339.]
Board decisions and notices are
available on our Web site at
‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’
Decided: December 10, 2013.
By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell,
Director, Office of Proceedings.
Derrick A. Gardner,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2013–29781 Filed 12–13–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS
[OMB Control No. 2900–0783]
Agency Information Collection
Activities Under OMB Review
Veterans Health
Administration, Department of Veterans
Affairs.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995
(44 U.S.C. 3501–3521), this notice
announces that the Veterans Health
Administration (VHA), Department of
Veterans Affairs, has submitted the
collection of information abstracted
below to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for review and comment.
The PRA submission describes the
nature of the information collection and
its expected cost and burden and
includes the actual data collection
instrument.
SUMMARY:
Comments must be submitted on
or before January 15, 2014.
DATES:
E:\FR\FM\16DEN1.SGM
16DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 241 (Monday, December 16, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76191-76192]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-29762]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Safety Advisory 2013-08]
Operational Tests and Inspections for Compliance With Maximum
Authorized Train Speeds and Other Speed Restrictions
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of safety advisory; Operational tests and inspections
for compliance with maximum authorized train speeds and other speed
restrictions.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: FRA is issuing Safety Advisory 2013-08 to stress to railroads
and their employees the importance of compliance with Federal
regulations and applicable railroad operating rules regarding maximum
authorized train speed limits and any relevant speed restrictions. This
safety advisory contains five recommendations to railroads to ensure
that compliance with maximum authorized speeds and other speed
restrictions are addressed by appropriate railroad operating policies
and procedures and to ensure that those policies and procedures are
effectively implemented.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Herrmann, Acting Director,
Office of Safety Assurance and Compliance, Office of Railroad Safety,
FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202)
493-6037.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The overall safety of railroad operations
has improved in recent years. However, the recent fatal accident in
Spuyten Duyvil, Bronx, New York, which is the subject of FRA's
Emergency Order No. 29, highlights the need to ensure that speed
restrictions mandated by Federal regulation and those imposed by a
railroad's own operating rules are adhered to. That accident also
demonstrates the importance of operational testing that pertains to
ensuring employee compliance with applicable speed limitations and
restrictions.
Metro-North Spuyten Duyvil Derailment
On Sunday, December 1, 2013, Metro-North passenger train 8808
(Train 8808) was traveling south from Poughkeepsie, New York, to Grand
Central Terminal in New York City when, at approximately 7:20 a.m., the
train derailed as it approached the Spuyten Duyvil Station. The train
consisted of seven passenger coach cars, including a control cab
locomotive in the lead position, and a conventional locomotive at the
rear of the train, operating in a push-pull configuration (a control
cab locomotive is both a passenger car, in that it has seats for
passengers, and a locomotive, in that it has a control cab from which
the engineer can operate the train). Each of the seven cars derailed
along with the trailing locomotive. As of December 6, the derailment
has resulted in four fatalities and more than 60 reported injuries.
As is customary, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
has taken the lead role in conducting the investigation of this
accident pursuant to its legal authority. 49 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.; 49
CFR 800.3(a), 831.2(b). FRA is also investigating the accident. As
Train 8808 approached the Spuyten Duyvil Station from the north, it
traveled over a straightaway with a maximum authorized passenger train
speed of 70 mph before reaching a sharp curve in the track where, by
the railroad's own rules, the maximum authorized speed was reduced to
30 mph. A preliminary review of the information on the locomotive event
recorders by NTSB indicates that the train was traveling approximately
82 mph as it entered the curve's 30-mph speed restriction. This means
Train 8808 was exceeding the maximum authorized speed on the
straightaway by 12 mph and traveling nearly three times the railroad's
maximum authorized speed as it entered the curve. Information obtained
from the train's event recorders also indicates that approximately six
seconds before the locomotive came to a stop, the locomotive throttle
was placed in idle and an application of the train's brake system was
made.
FRA's accident statistics reveal that the railroad industry's
recent safety record with regard to this area of compliance on main
tracks is good, but FRA believes the December 1 accident highlights the
need to remain vigilant in ensuring employee compliance with
operational speed limits and restrictions for trains and locomotives.
As such, FRA intends to focus its inspections on railroad operational
testing activity over the next several months on compliance with
maximum authorized train speeds and relevant speed restrictions. FRA
strongly encourages railroads and other industry members to re-
emphasize the importance of compliance with maximum authorized train
speeds and any applicable speed restrictions, and to conduct
operational testing at a level that will ensure compliance with all
posted speed restrictions.
Recommended Railroad Action: In light of the recent accident
discussed above, and in an effort to ensure the safety of the Nation's
railroads, their employees, and the general public, FRA recommends that
railroads do each of the following:
(1) Review the circumstances of the December 1, 2013, Spuyten
Duyvil derailment with each of their operating employees.
(2) Provide instruction to their employees during training classes
and safety briefings on the importance of compliance with maximum
authorized train speed limits and other speed restrictions. This
training should
[[Page 76192]]
include discussion of the railroad's absolute speed limits, speed
restrictions based on physical characteristics, temporary speed
restrictions, and any other restrictions commonly encountered.
(3) Remind their employees that Federal railroad safety regulation,
at 49 CFR 240.305(a)(2) and 242.403(e)(2), prohibits the operation of a
locomotive or train at a speed which exceeds the maximum authorized
speed by at least 10 mph.
(4) Evaluate quarterly and 6-month reviews of operational testing
data as required by 49 CFR 217.9. A railroad should consider increasing
the frequency of operational testing where its reviews show any non-
compliance with maximum authorized train speeds. A significant number
of operational tests should be conducted on trains that are required to
reduce speed by more than 20 mph from the maximum authorized train
speed. Operational tests should use the reliable methods available,
such as reviewing locomotive event recorder data and testing by radar
to verify compliance with maximum authorized speeds.
(5) Reinforce the importance of communication between train
crewmembers located in the controlling locomotive, particularly during
safety critical periods when multiple tasks are occurring (e.g.,
copying mandatory directives, closely approaching or passing fixed
signals and/or cab signals at a reduced speed, approaching locations
where the train's movement authority is being restricted, during radio
conversations with other employees or job briefings about track
characteristics) and during extended periods of inactivity.
FRA encourages all railroad industry members to take actions
consistent with the preceding recommendations. FRA may modify this
Safety Advisory 2013-08, issue additional safety advisories, or take
other appropriate action necessary to ensure the highest level of
safety on the Nation's railroads, including pursing other corrective
measures under its rail safety authority.
Issued in Washington, DC on December 10, 2013.
Robert C. Lauby,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety and Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-29762 Filed 12-13-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
