Federal Railroad Administration October 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FRA is updating its announcement of RSAC's working group activities to reflect its current status.

FRA is revising the existing requirements related to sanders on locomotives. This rule modifies the existing regulations by permitting additional flexibility in the use of locomotives with inoperative sanders. The rule provides railroads the ability to better utilize their locomotive fleets while ensuring that locomotives are equipped with operative sanders in situations where they provide the most benefit from a safety and operational perspective. The rule also makes the regulations related to operative sanders more consistent with existing Canadian standards related to the devices.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announces the next meeting of the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC), a Federal Advisory Committee that develops railroad safety regulations through a consensus process. The RSAC meeting topics include opening remarks from the FRA Administrator, a presentation on the Risk Reduction Program, electronically controlled pneumatic brakes, and sight distances at highway-rail grade crossings. Status reports will be given on the locomotive safety standards, medical standards, passenger safety, railroad operating rules, and continuous welded rail-track standards working groups. The committee will be asked to vote on recommendations on passenger safety, adding and changing Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations 225 Cause Codes. This agenda is subject to change.

On July 2, 2007, FRA approved for release and agency and public review the Draft Program Environmental Impact Report/ Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the Bay Area to Central Valley portion of the California High Speed Rail Authority's (Authority) proposed High Speed Train Program for the State of California. FRA is the lead federal agency on the environmental review in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Authority is the project sponsor and lead agency for the California Environmental Quality Act review. In releasing the Draft Program EIR/ EIS, FRA and the Authority established a 70-day public comment period that was scheduled to end on September 28, 2007. The public was notified of the 70-day comment period through a variety of avenues, including newspaper publications, information included on both agencies' Web sites, at public hearings held throughout the affected area, and through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's weekly Federal Register publication (72 FR 39808, July 20, 2007), which noted the availability of the Draft Program EIR/EIS, identified as EIS No. 20070303. At its September 26, 2007 board meeting, the Authority considered a number of public requests to extend the comment period and decided to accept comments until noon on October 26, 2007. FRA agrees with the Authority that this extension will facilitate public participation and is extending the comment period for NEPA purposes to October 26, 2007 as well.