Program Approval: Norfolk Southern Railway Company, 5536 [2020-01667]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 20 / Thursday, January 30, 2020 / Notices
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in writing, before the end of the
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khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
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Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety,
Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020–01670 Filed 1–29–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
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16:56 Jan 29, 2020
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA–2019–0099]
Program Approval: Norfolk Southern
Railway Company
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
Norfolk Southern Railway Company
(NS) petition for a Test Program
designed to test track inspection
technologies (i.e., an autonomous
locomotive-mounted geometry
measurement system and an automated
optical system) and new operational
approaches to track inspections and its
rationale for granting a limited,
temporary suspension of a substantive
FRA rule that is necessary to facilitate
the conduct of the Test Program.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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
November 1, 2019, NS petitioned FRA
under Title 49 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) Section 211.51 to
suspend certain requirements of FRA’s
track safety regulations to conduct a
program to test new track inspection
technologies (i.e., an autonomous
locomotive-mounted geometry
measurement system and an automated
optical system) and new operational
approaches to track inspections. NS also
submitted a written Test Program
providing a description of the proposed
tests and the geographic scope of the
testing territory.
The Test Program specifies that the
tests will be conducted on
approximately 1,042 miles of main and
siding tracks of the former Norfolk &
Western route from Norfolk, Virginia to
Portsmouth, Ohio on NS’s Pocahontas
Division.
The Test Program is designed to test
autonomous locomotive-mounted
geometry measurement systems and
gradually decreased manual visual
inspections as an alternative to FRA’s
inspection frequency requirements. NS
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00170
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
indicates that it will continue to use
other inspection technologies during the
Test Program, including (1) Sperry rail
flaw and joint bar inspections, and (2)
Vehicle/Track Interaction, a locomotivebased ride quality inspection system.
The Test Program will be carried out in
three separate phases over the course of
one year as detailed in Exhibit C of the
Test Program (available for review at
www.regulations.gov (docket number
FRA–2019–0099)).
After review and analysis of NS’s
petition for a Test Program, subject to
certain conditions designed to ensure
safety, FRA approved NS’s Test Program
and suspended the requirements of 49
CFR 213.233(b)(3) 1 and (c) as necessary
to carry out the Test Program. A copy
of FRA’s letter approving NS’s Test
Program and granting the requested
limited temporary suspension of 49 CFR
213.233(b)(3) and (c), as well as a
complete copy of the Test Program, is
available in docket number FRA–2019–
0099 at www.regulations.gov. FRA’s
letter approving NS’s Test Program and
granting the requested limited
temporary suspension of certain
regulations specifically details the
conditions NS will need to undertake
during the Test Program. As required by
49 CFR 211.51(c), FRA is providing this
explanatory statement describing the
Test Program.
As explained more fully in its
approval letter, FRA finds that the
temporary, limited suspension of 49
CFR 213.233(b)(3) and (c) is necessary to
the conduct of the approved Test
Program, which is specifically designed
to evaluate the effectiveness of new
automated track inspection technologies
and operational methods. Furthermore,
FRA also finds that the scope and
application of the granted suspension of
49 CFR 213.233(b)(3) and (c) as applied
to the Test Program are limited to that
necessary to conduct the Test Program.
Finally, FRA’s approval letter outlines
the conditions of the Test Program that
will ensure standards sufficient to
assure safety.
Issued in Washington, DC, on January 27,
2020.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety,
Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020–01667 Filed 1–29–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
1 The suspension of 49 CFR 213.233(b)(3) only
applies to Phase 3 of the Test Program.
E:\FR\FM\30JAN1.SGM
30JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 20 (Thursday, January 30, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 5536]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01667]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2019-0099]
Program Approval: Norfolk Southern Railway Company
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 Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS) petition for a Test
Program designed to test track inspection technologies (i.e., an
autonomous locomotive-mounted geometry measurement system and an
automated optical system) and new operational approaches to track
inspections and its rationale for granting a limited, temporary
suspension of a substantive FRA rule that is 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 November 1, 2019, NS petitioned FRA under
Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 211.51 to suspend
certain requirements of FRA's track safety regulations to conduct a
program to test new track inspection technologies (i.e., an autonomous
locomotive-mounted geometry measurement system and an automated optical
system) and new operational approaches to track inspections. NS also
submitted a written Test Program providing a description of the
proposed tests and the geographic scope of the testing territory.
The Test Program specifies that the tests will be conducted on
approximately 1,042 miles of main and siding tracks of the former
Norfolk & Western route from Norfolk, Virginia to Portsmouth, Ohio on
NS's Pocahontas Division.
The Test Program is designed to test autonomous locomotive-mounted
geometry measurement systems and gradually decreased manual visual
inspections as an alternative to FRA's inspection frequency
requirements. NS indicates that it will continue to use other
inspection technologies during the Test Program, including (1) Sperry
rail flaw and joint bar inspections, and (2) Vehicle/Track Interaction,
a locomotive-based ride quality inspection system. The Test Program
will be carried out in three separate phases over the course of one
year as detailed in Exhibit C of the Test Program (available for review
at www.regulations.gov (docket number FRA-2019-0099)).
After review and analysis of NS's petition for a Test Program,
subject to certain conditions designed to ensure safety, FRA approved
NS's Test Program and suspended the requirements of 49 CFR
213.233(b)(3) \1\ and (c) as necessary to carry out the Test Program. A
copy of FRA's letter approving NS's Test Program and granting the
requested limited temporary suspension of 49 CFR 213.233(b)(3) and (c),
as well as a complete copy of the Test Program, is available in docket
number FRA-2019-0099 at www.regulations.gov. FRA's letter approving
NS's Test Program and granting the requested limited temporary
suspension of certain regulations specifically details the conditions
NS will need to undertake during the Test Program. As required by 49
CFR 211.51(c), FRA is providing this explanatory statement describing
the Test Program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The suspension of 49 CFR 213.233(b)(3) only applies to Phase
3 of the Test Program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As explained more fully in its approval letter, FRA finds that the
temporary, limited suspension of 49 CFR 213.233(b)(3) and (c) is
necessary to the conduct of the approved Test Program, which is
specifically designed to evaluate the effectiveness of new automated
track inspection technologies and operational methods. Furthermore, FRA
also finds that the scope and application of the granted suspension of
49 CFR 213.233(b)(3) and (c) as applied to the Test Program are limited
to that necessary to conduct the Test Program. Finally, FRA's approval
letter outlines the conditions of the Test Program that will ensure
standards sufficient to assure safety.
Issued in Washington, DC, on January 27, 2020.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-01667 Filed 1-29-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
