Approval of BNSF Railway Company Test Program To Evaluate Automated Track Inspection Technologies, 55449-55450 [2018-24111]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 214 / Monday, November 5, 2018 / Notices
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Assistant United States Trade Representative
for Monitoring and Enforcement, Office of
the U.S. Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2018–24119 Filed 11–2–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290–F9–P
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA–2018–0091]
Approval of BNSF Railway Company
Test Program To Evaluate Automated
Track Inspection Technologies
Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of approval.
AGENCY:
FRA is issuing this notice to
explain its rationale for approving a
BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) Test
Program designed to evaluate the
effectiveness of various types of
automated track inspection technologies
and for granting a limited, temporary
suspension of one Federal railroad
safety requirement necessary to
facilitate the conduct of the Test
Program.
SUMMARY:
YuJiang Zhang, Staff Director, Track
Division, Office of Railroad Safety, FRA,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202)
493–6460 or email yujiang.zhang@
dot.gov; Aaron Moore, Attorney, Office
of Chief Counsel, FRA, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590,
telephone (202) 493–7009 or email
aaron.moore@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July
31, 2018, BNSF petitioned FRA under
Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR) Section 211.51 to suspend certain
requirements of its track safety
regulations to conduct a pilot program
testing various types of automated track
inspection methodologies on identified
portions of BNSF’s Powder River
Division main line and siding tracks.
BNSF also submitted a Test Program
providing a description of the proposed
pilot program and the geographic scope
of the testing territory. After review and
analysis of the Petition and Test
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Phase
Days
Inspection
1 ......................
1–60 ...............
2 ......................
61–120 ...........
• Maintain current manual visual inspection frequency.
• Target of approximately weekly geometry car frequency.
• Joint BNSF/FRA ‘‘baseline’’ manual field inspection
• Weekly mandated manual visual main line inspections; monthly sidings.
• Target of approximately weekly mainline geometry
car frequency; monthly sidings.
• ATIP Inspection near end of phase 2 ......................
Program, on September 26, 2018, subject
to certain conditions designed to ensure
safety, FRA approved BNSF’s Test
Program and suspended the
requirements of 49 CFR 213.233(c) as
necessary to carry out the Test
Program.1 As required by 49 CFR
211.51(c), FRA is providing this
explanatory statement describing the
Test Program.
The Test Program specifies that the
pilot program will be conducted on
approximately 1,348 miles of main and
siding tracks from Lincoln, Nebraska
and Donkey Creek, Wyoming and back
to Lincoln, Nebraska via BNSF’s coal
loop excluding the Orin Subdivision.
Specifically, the Test Territory includes
the following track segments spanning
seven subdivisions of BNSF’s Powder
River Subdivision:
1. Ravenna (Milepost (MP) 11.082 to
MP 128.200);
2. Sand Hills (MP 128.2 to MP 364.1);
3. Butte (MP 364.1 to MP 476.1);
4. Black Hills (MP 476.1 to MP
586.286);
5. Canyon (MP 90.4 to MP 133.2);
6. Valley (MP 0.00 to 90.4); and
7. Angora (MP 33.826 to MP 0.3).
The Test Program explains that
tonnage over the Test Territory varies by
subdivision from 105 million gross tons
(MGT) to 198 MGT and that the primary
traffic over the Test Territory is coal
traffic. Further, BNSF indicates that 55
percent of the ties in the Test Territory
are concrete and 45 percent are wood,
with 520 control points, 292 bridges and
598 turnouts included within the
territory.
The Test Program is designed to test
the use of manned and unmanned track
geometry cars for track inspection as a
viable alternative to manual visual
inspections and to implement and test
an optical visual platform to
supplement manual visual inspections.
The Test Program will be carried out in
four separate phases over the course of
one year as detailed in Table 1 below:
Metric
Below 2014 baseline for:
1. Unprotected Red tags/100 miles = 6.95.
Reduction from baseline:
1. Unprotected Red tags/100 miles = 5.0 or
below measured quarterly (28% reduction).
1 On October 24, 2018, in response to a request
from BNSF, FRA modified the conditions of its
September 26, 2018 approval.
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18:38 Nov 02, 2018
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 214 / Monday, November 5, 2018 / Notices
Phase
Days
Inspection
Metric
3 ......................
121–300 .........
Reduction from baseline:
1. Unprotected Red tags/100 miles = 4.8 or
below measured quarterly (31% reduction).
4 ......................
301–365 .........
• Data-driven focused manual visual inspections ......
• Twice monthly mandated manual visual mainline
inspections; monthly sidings.
• Data driven geometry car frequency, with a minimum of two such tests per month.
• Automated Optical inspection platform added at
same frequency of track geometry testing.
• ATIP Test end of phase 3 .......................................
• Data-driven focused manual visual inspections ......
• Twice monthly manual visual mainline inspections;
monthly sidings.
• Data driven geometry car testing frequency, with a
minimum of two such tests per month.
• Data driven optical testing frequency, with a minimum of two such tests per month.
• Additional technology tested ....................................
• Joint BNSF/FRA Manual Field Inspection ...............
Reduction from baseline:
1. Unprotected Red tags/100 miles = 4.6 or
below measured quarterly (34% reduction).
Table 1: Phases of Test Program.
FRA approved the Test Program and
granted BNSF’s petition for a temporary
suspension of 49 CFR 213.233(c) subject
to certain conditions designed to ensure
the safety of the Test Program. Among
those conditions, BNSF must
demonstrate to FRA how it will
implement the ‘‘data driven focused
manual visual inspections’’ in Phases 3
and 4 of the Test Program and the
railroad must meet the metrics specified
in the Test Program to monitor and
measure the effectiveness of the
technologies being tested. If those
metrics cannot be met in any phase of
the program, BNSF must revise the Test
Program. A copy of FRA’s letters
approving BNSF’s Test Program and
granting the requested limited,
temporary suspension of 49 CFR
213.233(c) is available in the public
docket at www.regulations.gov (docket
no. FRA–2018–0091).
FRA finds that the temporary, limited
suspension of 49 CFR 213.233(c) is
necessary to the conduct of the
approved Test Program which is
specifically designed to evaluate the
effectiveness of various types of
automated track inspection
technologies. FRA also finds that the
scope and application of the granted
suspension of 49 CFR 213.233(c) as
applied to the Test Program is limited
to that necessary to facilitate the
conduct of the Test Program.
Robert C. Lauby,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety
Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018–24111 Filed 11–2–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:38 Nov 02, 2018
Jkt 247001
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Number FRA–2018–0083]
Petition for Waiver of Compliance
Under part 211 of Title 49 Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR), this
document provides the public notice
that on October 4, 2018, the BNSF
Railway Company (BNSF), petitioned
the Federal Railroad Administration
(FRA) for a waiver of compliance from
certain provisions of the Federal
railroad safety regulations contained at
49 CFR 225.25, Recordkeeping. FRA
assigned the petition Docket Number
FRA–2018–0083.
Specifically, BNSF seeks a waiver of
compliance from 49 CFR 225.25(h)
which states, in part, ‘‘Except as
provided in paragraph (h)(15) of this
section, a listing of all injuries and
occupational illnesses reported to FRA
as having occurred at an establishment
shall be posted in a conspicuous
location at that establishment, within 30
days after the expiration of the month
during which the injuries and illnesses
occurred, if the establishment has been
in continual operation for a minimum of
90 calendar days.’’
BNSF requests a waiver regarding the
actual posting of the monthly listing of
employee reportable injuries,
occupational illnesses, and fatalities, as
reported to FRA that have occurred
during the past 12-month period at each
establishment. In lieu of physically
posting a ‘‘paper’’ copy of the monthly
listing at each establishment, BNSF has
developed an electronic version that
would be available to its employees by
accessing this information on computer
terminals located at company facilities
and personal devices. BNSF would
place posters on the notice boards at
PO 00000
Frm 00105
Fmt 4703
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each establishment indicating that the
monthly listings are available to be
viewed in two ways: electronically
through access from a computer
terminal, or through direct request of a
manager.
A copy of the petition, as well as any
written communications concerning the
petition, is available for review online at
www.regulations.gov and in person at
the U.S. Department of Transportation’s
(DOT) Docket Operations Facility, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, W12–140,
Washington, DC 20590. The Docket
Operations Facility is open from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal Holidays.
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 parties desire
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.
All communications concerning these
proceedings should identify the
appropriate docket number and may be
submitted by any of the following
methods:
• Website: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
• Fax: 202–493–2251.
• Mail: Docket Operations Facility,
U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, W12–140,
Washington, DC 20590.
• Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Room W12–140,
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m.
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal Holidays.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 214 (Monday, November 5, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55449-55450]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-24111]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2018-0091]
Approval of BNSF Railway Company Test Program To Evaluate
Automated Track Inspection Technologies
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of approval.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: FRA is issuing this notice to explain its rationale for
approving a BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) Test Program designed to
evaluate the effectiveness of various types of automated track
inspection technologies and for granting a limited, temporary
suspension of one Federal railroad safety requirement necessary to
facilitate the conduct of the Test Program.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yu-Jiang Zhang, Staff Director, Track
Division, Office of Railroad Safety, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202) 493-6460 or email
[email protected]; Aaron Moore, Attorney, Office of Chief Counsel,
FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202)
493-7009 or email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 31, 2018, BNSF petitioned FRA under
Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 211.51 to suspend
certain requirements of its track safety regulations to conduct a pilot
program testing various types of automated track inspection
methodologies on identified portions of BNSF's Powder River Division
main line and siding tracks. BNSF also submitted a Test Program
providing a description of the proposed pilot program and the
geographic scope of the testing territory. After review and analysis of
the Petition and Test Program, on September 26, 2018, subject to
certain conditions designed to ensure safety, FRA approved BNSF's Test
Program and suspended the requirements of 49 CFR 213.233(c) as
necessary to carry out the Test Program.\1\ As required by 49 CFR
211.51(c), FRA is providing this explanatory statement describing the
Test Program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ On October 24, 2018, in response to a request from BNSF, FRA
modified the conditions of its September 26, 2018 approval.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Test Program specifies that the pilot program will be conducted
on approximately 1,348 miles of main and siding tracks from Lincoln,
Nebraska and Donkey Creek, Wyoming and back to Lincoln, Nebraska via
BNSF's coal loop excluding the Orin Subdivision. Specifically, the Test
Territory includes the following track segments spanning seven
subdivisions of BNSF's Powder River Subdivision:
1. Ravenna (Milepost (MP) 11.082 to MP 128.200);
2. Sand Hills (MP 128.2 to MP 364.1);
3. Butte (MP 364.1 to MP 476.1);
4. Black Hills (MP 476.1 to MP 586.286);
5. Canyon (MP 90.4 to MP 133.2);
6. Valley (MP 0.00 to 90.4); and
7. Angora (MP 33.826 to MP 0.3).
The Test Program explains that tonnage over the Test Territory
varies by subdivision from 105 million gross tons (MGT) to 198 MGT and
that the primary traffic over the Test Territory is coal traffic.
Further, BNSF indicates that 55 percent of the ties in the Test
Territory are concrete and 45 percent are wood, with 520 control
points, 292 bridges and 598 turnouts included within the territory.
The Test Program is designed to test the use of manned and unmanned
track geometry cars for track inspection as a viable alternative to
manual visual inspections and to implement and test an optical visual
platform to supplement manual visual inspections. The Test Program will
be carried out in four separate phases over the course of one year as
detailed in Table 1 below:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phase Days Inspection Metric
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1......................... 1-60...................... Maintain current Below 2014 baseline for:
manual visual inspection 1. Unprotected Red tags/100
frequency. miles = 6.95.
Target of
approximately weekly
geometry car frequency.
Joint BNSF/FRA
``baseline'' manual field
inspection.
2......................... 61-120.................... Weekly mandated Reduction from baseline:
manual visual main line 1. Unprotected Red tags/100
inspections; monthly miles = 5.0 or below
sidings. measured quarterly (28%
Target of reduction).
approximately weekly
mainline geometry car
frequency; monthly sidings.
ATIP Inspection
near end of phase 2.
[[Page 55450]]
3......................... 121-300................... Data-driven Reduction from baseline:
focused manual visual 1. Unprotected Red tags/100
inspections. miles = 4.8 or below
Twice monthly measured quarterly (31%
mandated manual visual reduction).
mainline inspections;
monthly sidings.
Data driven
geometry car frequency,
with a minimum of two such
tests per month.
Automated Optical
inspection platform added
at same frequency of track
geometry testing.
ATIP Test end of
phase 3.
4......................... 301-365................... Data-driven Reduction from baseline:
focused manual visual 1. Unprotected Red tags/100
inspections. miles = 4.6 or below
Twice monthly measured quarterly (34%
manual visual mainline reduction).
inspections; monthly
sidings.
Data driven
geometry car testing
frequency, with a minimum
of two such tests per
month.
Data driven
optical testing frequency,
with a minimum of two such
tests per month.
Additional
technology tested.
Joint BNSF/FRA
Manual Field Inspection.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 1: Phases of Test Program.
FRA approved the Test Program and granted BNSF's petition for a
temporary suspension of 49 CFR 213.233(c) subject to certain conditions
designed to ensure the safety of the Test Program. Among those
conditions, BNSF must demonstrate to FRA how it will implement the
``data driven focused manual visual inspections'' in Phases 3 and 4 of
the Test Program and the railroad must meet the metrics specified in
the Test Program to monitor and measure the effectiveness of the
technologies being tested. If those metrics cannot be met in any phase
of the program, BNSF must revise the Test Program. A copy of FRA's
letters approving BNSF's Test Program and granting the requested
limited, temporary suspension of 49 CFR 213.233(c) is available in the
public docket at www.regulations.gov (docket no. FRA-2018-0091).
FRA finds that the temporary, limited suspension of 49 CFR
213.233(c) is necessary to the conduct of the approved Test Program
which is specifically designed to evaluate the effectiveness of various
types of automated track inspection technologies. FRA also finds that
the scope and application of the granted suspension of 49 CFR
213.233(c) as applied to the Test Program is limited to that necessary
to facilitate the conduct of the Test Program.
Robert C. Lauby,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-24111 Filed 11-2-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
