Federal Railroad Administration 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
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National Railroad Passenger Corporation's Request for Positive Train Control Safety Plan Approval and System Certification
This document provides the public with notice that on August 9, 2018, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) submitted its Positive Train Control Safety Plan (PTCSP) Revision 0, dated July 17, 2018, to FRA via the Secure Information Repository. Amtrak asks FRA to approve its PTCSP and issue a Positive Train Control System Certification for Amtrak's Interoperable Electronic Train Management System (I-ETMS).
Drug and Alcohol Testing: Determination of Minimum Random Testing Rates for 2019
This notification of determination announces FRA's minimum annual random drug and minimum annual random alcohol testing rates for covered employees and for maintenance-of-way (MOW) employees for calendar year 2019.
System Safety Program
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. FRA has stayed the SSP final rule's requirements until December 4, 2018. FRA is issuing this final rule to extend that stay until September 4, 2019.
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information Collection Requests (ICRs) abstracted below. Before submitting these ICRs to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified below.
Notice Rescinding Eight Notices of Intent To Prepare Environmental Impact Statements
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is issuing this notice to advise the public that FRA is rescinding the Notices of Intent (NOI) for the following Environmental Impact Statements (EIS): The Pennsylvania Maglev Proposal; the Tupelo Railroad Relocation Planning and Environmental Study; the Tier 2 EIS for the Chicago to Joliet High-Speed Rail (HSR) Project; the Tier 2 EIS for the HSR Project between Granite City, IL to St. Louis, MO HSR Project; EIS for the ACEforward Program; EIS for the Milwaukee, WI to Minneapolis, MN Rail Corridor; 7) the Los Angeles to San Louis Obispo North (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Project; and 8) the Chicago to Detroit/Pontiac Corridor Investment Program.
Revisions to Civil Penalty Amounts
In accordance with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, this final rule provides the 2018 inflation adjustment to civil penalty amounts that may be imposed for violations of certain DOT regulations. This rule also finalizes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's and the Office of the Secretary's catch-up inflation adjustment interim final rules required by the same Act.
Passenger Equipment Safety Standards; Standards for Alternative Compliance and High-Speed Trainsets
This final rule amends FRA's passenger equipment safety standards using a performance-based approach to adopt new and modified requirements governing the construction of conventional- and high-speed passenger rail equipment. This final rule adds a new tier of passenger equipment safety standards (Tier III) to facilitate the safe implementation of nation-wide, interoperable high-speed passenger rail service at speeds up to 220 mph. While Tier III trainsets must operate in an exclusive right-of-way without grade crossings at speeds above 125 mph, these trainsets can share the right-of-way with freight trains and other tiers of passenger equipment at speeds not exceeding 125 mph. This final rule also establishes crashworthiness and occupant protection performance requirements in the alternative to those currently specified for Tier I passenger trainsets. Together, the Tier III requirements and Tier I alternative crashworthiness and occupant protection requirements remove regulatory barriers and enable use of new technological designs, allowing a more open U.S. rail market. Additionally, the final rule increases from 150 mph to 160 mph the maximum speed for passenger equipment that complies with FRA's Tier II requirements.
Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair Program
This notice details the application requirements and procedures to obtain grant \1\ funding for eligible projects under the Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair Program (Partnership Program) made available by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017, Public Law 115-31, Div. K, Tit. I (2017 Appropriations Act) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, Div. L, Tit. I, Public Law 115- 141 (2018 Appropriations Act; collectively the Appropriations Acts). The opportunity described in this notice is made available under Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 20.326, ``Federal- State Partnership for State of Good Repair.''
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information Collection Requests (ICRs) abstracted below. Before submitting these ICRs to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified below.
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
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 collections and their expected burden. On March 14, 2017, FRA published a notice providing a 60-day period for public comment and on September 13, 2017, published a notice providing a 30-day period for public comment on the ICR.
Approval of BNSF Railway Company Test Program To Evaluate Automated Track Inspection Technologies
FRA is issuing this notice to explain its rationale for approving a BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) Test Program designed to evaluate the effectiveness of various types of automated track inspection technologies and for granting a limited, temporary suspension of one Federal railroad safety requirement necessary to facilitate the conduct of the Test Program.
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice announces that FRA is forwarding the Information Collection Requests (ICRs) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICRs describe the information collections and their expected burden. On August 1, 2018, FRA published a notice providing a 60-day period for public comment on the ICRs.
Environmental Impacts and Related Procedures
This final rule amends FHWA and FTA regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Section 4(f) requirements. In addition, through this final rule, FRA is joining those regulations, making them FRA's NEPA and Section 4(f) implementing regulations. The FHWA, FRA and FTA (hereafter collectively referred to as ``the Agencies'') modified the NEPA and Section 4(f) regulations to reflect various provisions of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The Agencies have also revised the Environmental Impact and Related Procedures regulations to reflect various procedural changes, such as including a new section on combined final environmental impact statement/record of decision documents, and to improve readability and reflect current practice. This final rule also amends the Parks, Recreation Areas, Wildlife and Waterfowl Refuges, and Historic Sites regulations to reflect new exceptions created by the FAST Act.
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below. Before submitting this ICR to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified below.
Notice of Funding Opportunity for Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements; Extension
Under a notice published in the Federal Register, the FRA sought applications from eligible parties for the Fiscal Year 2018 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program that will improve intercity passenger and freight rail transportation systems in terms of safety, efficiency, or reliability. Due to Hurricane Florence, the FRA is extending the application deadline to give applicants additional time to complete the application process and submit applications.
Railroad Safety Advisory Committee; Re-Establishment
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announces the re- establishment of the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) via a new charter. RSAC is a Federal Advisory Committee established by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act to provide information, advice, and recommendations to the Administrator of FRA on matters relating to railroad safety. This charter will be effective for 2 years from the date it is filed with Congress.
Port Authority Trans-Hudson's Request for Positive Train Control Safety Plan Approval and System Certification
This document provides the public with notice that Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) submitted to FRA its Positive Train Control Safety Plan (PTCSP), Revision 4.0, dated August 21, 2018, on FRA's Secure Information Repository (SIR) site on August 23, 2018. PATH asks FRA to approve its PTCSP and issue a Positive Train Control System Certification for PATH's Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) system.
Hours of Service Recordkeeping; Automated Recordkeeping; Correction
On August 29, 2018, FRA published a final rule to reduce the paperwork burden associated with compliance with Federal hours of service laws and regulations. In preparing that final rule for publication, a technical error was made as described in the Supplementary Information. FRA is correcting this minor error so that the final rule clearly conforms to FRA's intent.
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the new Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below. Before submitting this ICR to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified below.
Notice of Funding Opportunity for Positive Train Control Systems Grants Under the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program
This NOFO details the application procedures and requirements to obtain remaining grant funding for eligible positive train control (PTC) system projects of the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program as provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, (2018 Appropriation). The funding in this NOFO remains from the 2018 Appropriation after DOT selected applications submitted in response to an initial NOFO for PTC systems deployment published on May 18, 2018. The opportunity described in this notice is made available under Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 20.325, ``Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements.''
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
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 collections and their expected burden. On July 2, 2018, FRA published a notice providing a 60-day period for public comment on the ICR.
Hours of Service Recordkeeping; Automated Recordkeeping
This rule is part of FRA's broader initiative to reduce the paperwork burden of its regulations while still supporting compliance with the Federal hours of service laws and regulations. Current regulations require employees covered by those laws or regulations (covered service employees) to create and retain hours of service records by hand (a paper system) or ``certify'' the record using a compliant computerized system (an electronic system) with program logic. Cognizant of the burden placed on small operations, FRA provides a simplified method of computerized recordkeeping (an automated system)in which employees apply their electronic signatures to automated records stored in a railroad computer system without the complexity and functionality of an electronic systemfor eligible smaller railroads (and contractors and subcontractors providing covered service employees to such railroads). This rule does not require the use of automated recordkeeping, but, when implemented by the small operations for which it is tailored, it will decrease the burden hours spent on hours of service recordkeeping.
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