Federal Railroad Administration August 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FRA hereby gives notice that it is submitting the following Information Collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for emergency processing under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. FRA requests that OMB authorize the collection of information identified below on or before September 1, 2013, for a period of 180 days.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Requirements (ICRs) abstracted below will be forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICRs describe the nature of the information collection and their expected burden. The Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collections of information was published on May 28, 2013.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and its implementing regulations, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) hereby announces that it is seeking renewal of the following currently approved information collection activities. Before submitting these information collection requirements for clearance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified below.

A recent catastrophic railroad accident occurred in Canada when an unattended freight train containing hazardous materials rolled down a descending grade and subsequently derailed. It is currently estimated that this accident resulted in 42 fatalities, and 5 persons are still reported to be missing. In response, FRA issued Emergency Order No. 28 regarding the securement of trains, and FRA and PHMSA (collectively, DOT) are also issuing this safety advisory. This safety advisory discusses the circumstances surrounding the accident and makes certain safety-related recommendations to railroads operating in the United States. This safety advisory also provides notice of FRA's intent to schedule an emergency meeting of the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee to discuss this accident and potential regulatory actions to prevent similar future accidents from occurring.

FRA is issuing Safety Advisory 2013-05 to remind railroad track owners about the importance of reviewing current, internal continuous welded rail (CWR) plans and properly inspecting CWR joints to identify and correct locations that indicate potential joint failure that may cause a derailment. FRA is issuing this notice in response to two recent train derailments. Although the causes of these derailments are still under investigation, preliminary evidence suggests that failed joint bars played a significant role in both derailments. This notice reminds railroad track owners that they must comply with the requirements of their CWR plan procedures regarding inspecting track to identify indications of potential joint failure in CWR track, especially that of compromise joints. This notice also recommends that railroad track owners review their CWR plans to ensure that the instructions properly identify the necessary track maintenance procedures to remedy indications of potential joint failure that lead to rapid failure of joint bars. Finally, the notice recommends that railroad track owners follow good maintenance practices to ensure the joints are adequately supported and, wherever possible, eliminate joints in CWR, especially compromise joints in passenger and hazardous material routes.