Federal Railroad Administration 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the currently approved information collection activities listed below. Before submitting these information collection requests (ICRs) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities, which are identified in this notice.

This document provides notice of FRA's intent to issue a Safety Advisory alerting railroads, contractors, and the rail welding industry of the potential for electrode-induced rail pitting and fatigue cracking during the pressure electric rail welding process. Based on investigation and research, FRA believes improper electrode contact to the rail during the welding process can result in electrode- induced pitting that may lead to fatigue fracture and ultimately rail failure. The draft Safety Advisory includes recommendations to help the industry prevent electrode-induced rail pitting and to inspect for and then remediate such pitting if it occurs. FRA invites public comment on all aspects of the draft Safety Advisory.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice announces that FRA is forwarding the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the information collection and its expected burden. On May 22, 2017, FRA published a notice providing a 60-day period for public comment on the ICR.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) (collectively, the Agencies) withdraw the March 10, 2016, advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) concerning the prevalence of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among individuals occupying safety sensitive positions in highway and rail transportation, and its potential consequences for the safety of highway and rail transportation. The Agencies have determined not to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking at this time.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice announces that FRA is forwarding the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the information collection and its expected burden.

This final rule implements a pilot program for competitive selection of eligible petitioners in lieu of Amtrak to operate not more than three long-distance routes operated by Amtrak. The final rule is required by statute.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of proposed information collection activities listed below. Before submitting these information collection requests (ICRs) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified in this notice.

On August 12, 2016, FRA published a final rule requiring commuter and intercity passenger railroads to develop and implement a system safety program (SSP) to improve the safety of their operations. On February 10, 2017, FRA stayed the SSP final rule's requirements until March 21, 2017, and extended the stay until May 22, 2017 and then to June 5, 2017. This document extends that stay until December 4, 2017.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, this document provides notice that FRA is submitting an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to collect information on railroads' implementation of positive train control (PTC) systems on a quarterly form entitled the Quarterly PTC Progress Report Form (Form FRA F 6180.165). On June 20, 2016, following the required notice and comment period, including a public meeting with industry stakeholders, OMB approved the Quarterly PTC Progress Report Form (Form FRA F 6180.165) for a period of 12 months, expiring June 30, 2017. After OMB's initial approval, FRA made three minor modifications to Form FRA F 6180.165, as described below. FRA sought public comment on the proposed revisions during a period of 60 days, ending May 15, 2017. FRA requests regular processing and OMB authorization for 3 years to collect the information on revised Form FRA F 6180.165, as identified below, beginning 30 days after publication of this notice.

On August 12, 2016, FRA published a final rule requiring commuter and intercity passenger railroads to develop and implement a system safety program (SSP) to improve the safety of their operations. On February 10, 2017, FRA stayed the SSP final rule's requirements until March 21, 2017, and on March 20, 2017, FRA extended the stay to May 22, 2017. This document extends that stay until June 5, 2017.

This document delays the implementation dates in the final rule published November 7, 2014, because model training program developers alerted FRA they will not be able to timely produce model programs that an estimated 1,459 railroads and contractors are expected to use to comply with the rule's program submission requirements.