Program Approval: Canadian Pacific Railway Company, 45295 [2020-16222]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 144 / Monday, July 27, 2020 / Notices
obligations as a common carrier of
freight by continuing its existing freight
operations within the purchased
corridor. This agreement requires
SCVTA to inspect, maintain, and repair
all tracks, signal systems, and automatic
warning devices along the freight track
within that portion of the corridor
shared with SCVTA tracks.
SCVTA explains it has worked
diligently with FRA to rectify
compliance concerns found during the
2018–2019 waiver relief period, and
seeks a full five-year extension of the
regulations as previously granted in this
docket.
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
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desire an opportunity for oral comment
and a public hearing, they should notify
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for their request.
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VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:31 Jul 24, 2020
Jkt 250001
also https://www.regulations.gov/
privacyNotice for the privacy notice of
regulations.gov.
Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad
Safety,Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020–16229 Filed 7–24–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA–2020–0056]
Program Approval: Canadian Pacific
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
Canadian Pacific Railway Company (CP)
petition for a Test Program designed to
test track inspection technologies (i.e.,
an autonomous track geometry
measurement 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.
SUMMARY:
YuJiang Zhang, Staff Director, Track and
Structures 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 2,
2020, CP petitioned FRA under title 49
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
§ 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 track geometry
measurement system) and new
operational approaches to track
inspections. CP 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 480 miles of track on
CP’s corridor between St. Paul,
Minnesota and Rondout, Illinois.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
PO 00000
Frm 00137
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45295
The Test Program is designed to test
autonomous track geometry
measurement systems and gradually
decrease manual visual inspections as
an alternative to FRA’s inspection
frequency requirements. CP indicates
that it will continue to use other
inspection technologies during the Test
Program, including: (1) Vehicle Track
Interaction monitoring systems; (2)
ultrasonic rail inspection systems; and
(3) optical joint bar inspection systems.
The Test Program will be carried out in
three separate phases over the course of
12 months, as detailed in Exhibit C of
the Test Program (available for review at
www.regulations.gov (docket number
FRA–2020–0056)).
After review and analysis of CP’s
petition for a Test Program, subject to
certain conditions designed to ensure
safety, FRA approved CP’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 CP’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–2020–
0056 at www.regulations.gov. FRA’s
letter approving CP’s Test Program and
granting the requested limited
temporary suspension of certain
regulations specifically details the
conditions CP 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.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety,
Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020–16222 Filed 7–24–20; 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.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 144 (Monday, July 27, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 45295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-16222]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2020-0056]
Program Approval: Canadian Pacific 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 Canadian Pacific Railway Company (CP) petition for a Test
Program designed to test track inspection technologies (i.e., an
autonomous track geometry measurement 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
and Structures 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 2, 2020, CP petitioned FRA under
title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Sec. 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
track geometry measurement system) and new operational approaches to
track inspections. CP 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 480 miles of track on CP's corridor between St. Paul,
Minnesota and Rondout, Illinois.
The Test Program is designed to test autonomous track geometry
measurement systems and gradually decrease manual visual inspections as
an alternative to FRA's inspection frequency requirements. CP indicates
that it will continue to use other inspection technologies during the
Test Program, including: (1) Vehicle Track Interaction monitoring
systems; (2) ultrasonic rail inspection systems; and (3) optical joint
bar inspection systems. The Test Program will be carried out in three
separate phases over the course of 12 months, as detailed in Exhibit C
of the Test Program (available for review at www.regulations.gov
(docket number FRA-2020-0056)).
After review and analysis of CP's petition for a Test Program,
subject to certain conditions designed to ensure safety, FRA approved
CP'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 CP'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-2020-0056 at www.regulations.gov. FRA's letter approving
CP's Test Program and granting the requested limited temporary
suspension of certain regulations specifically details the conditions
CP 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.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-16222 Filed 7-24-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
