Federal Railroad Administration August 5, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document provides the public with notice that, on June 4, 2024, and July 22, 2024, Florida East Coast Railway (FECR) submitted a request for amendment (RFA) to its FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plan (PTCSP). As this RFA involves a request for FRA's approval of proposed material modifications to an FRA-certified positive train control (PTC) system, FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on the railroad's RFA to its PTCSP.

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.

On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The BIL provides historic appropriations for railroad transportation grant programs administered by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and authorizes new programs to enhance rail safety and to repair, restore, improve, and expand the nation's rail network. Among those new programs is the Corridor Identification and Development Program (CID Program), which creates a new framework to facilitate the development of new, enhanced, and restored intercity passenger rail corridors throughout the country. Railroad Operations Analysis (OA) uses data to assess changes to railroad operations and/or capital project improvements to railroad infrastructure and is frequently part of the planning process for rail projects. OA involves the collaboration of various rail stakeholders and the sharing of data and information. As a result of the CID Program, there is an increased need for FRA and rail stakeholders to participate in OA and evaluate OA results. FRA finds value in conducting OA in a collaborative manner to promote increased confidence in the OA among stakeholders and support Federal FRA investments in infrastructure projects. In this RFI, FRA seeks public comments on the challenges involved in OA, how FRA may address those challenges, and how FRA may improve OA for Federally funded railroad projects.