Federal Railroad Administration November 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Since the beginning of 2021, 123 rail accidents/incidents have been reported to FRA as having been caused, in whole or in part, by severe weather conditions or weather-related events (e.g., hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, flooding, mudslides, and summer heat). These extreme weather conditions and events not only present hazards to railroad workers, operations and infrastructure but can also severely impact the customers and communities relying on the railroads for travel and transportation of critical goods. To reduce weather-related accidents/incidents and improve the efficiency of the national rail network during severe weather events, FRA is issuing this Safety Advisory to recommend that railroads review existing policies, procedures, and operating rules related to predicting, monitoring, communicating, and operating during severe weather conditions or subsequent to extreme weather events. FRA also recommends that railroads collaborate to develop best practices for utilizing weather forecasting technologies, predictive weather models, and weather- related action plans throughout the industry.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, this notice announces that FRA is forwarding the Information Collection Request (ICR) summarized below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the information collection and its expected burden. On August 18, 2023, FRA published a notice providing a 60-day period for public comment on the ICR.

This document provides the public with notice that on November 3, 2023, twenty host railroads submitted a joint request for amendment (RFA) to their FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plans (PTCSP) to implement on-board software changes to the human-machine interface (HMI) which requires amendments to positive train control (PTC) training for train crews. As this joint RFA may involve requests for FRA's approval of proposed material modifications to FRA-certified PTC systems, FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on the railroads' joint RFA to their PTCSPs.

This document provides the public with notice that on October 28, 2023, Trinity Railway Express (TRE) submitted a request to field test trains on TRE's positive train control (PTC)-equipped Silver Line subdivision, which is equipped with the Interoperable Electronic Train Management System (I-ETMS). TRE's October 2023 test request also withdraws its pending test request that it had previously filed with FRA on August 29, 2023. FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on TRE's request to test its PTC system on the Silver Line subdivision.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information Collection Request (ICR) summarized 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 in the ICR.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, this notice announces that FRA is forwarding the Information Collection Request (ICR) summarized below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the information collection and its expected burden. On August 25, 2023, FRA published a notice providing a 60-day period for public comment on the ICR.