Federal Railroad Administration December 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
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The National Railroad Passenger Corporation's Request for Amendment to Its Positive Train Control Type Approval and System Certification
This document provides the public with notice that, on December 11, 2024, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) submitted a request for amendment (RFA) to its Positive Train Control Type Approval and System Certification in order to add Amtrak AMT-27, which includes instructions for testing signal apparatuses and signal systems. As this RFA may involve 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 Amtrak's RFA to its Positive Train Control Type Approval and System Certification.
Federal Railroad Administration's Procedures for Waivers and Safety-Related Proceedings
On October 29, 2024, FRA published an NPRM proposing to update FRA's procedures for waivers and safety-related proceedings to define the two components of the statutory waiver and suspension standard, "in the public interest" and "consistent with railroad safety." By this notice, FRA is extending the NPRM's comment period by 15 days.
Track Geometry Measurement System (TGMS) Inspections; Extension of Comment Period
On October 24, 2024, FRA published an NPRM proposing to revise its regulations governing the minimum safety requirements for railroad track. The proposed changes would require all Class I and II railroads, as well as intercity passenger railroads and commuter railroads, to operate a qualifying Track Geometry Measurement System (TGMS), a type of automated track inspection (ATI) technology, at specified frequencies on all Class 1 through 5 mainline and controlled siding track that transports: annual tonnage greater than 10 million gross tons (MGT), regularly scheduled passenger rail service, or trains containing hazardous materials. FRA also proposed increasing the required frequency of TGMS inspections on Class 6 track. By this notification, FRA is extending the NPRM's comment period, which will close on December 23, 2024, by 15 days.
Positive Train Control Systems
On October 28, 2024, FRA published an NPRM proposing to amend certain regulations governing positive train control (PTC) systems. Through oversight and continued engagement with the industry, FRA has found that its existing PTC regulations do not adequately address temporary situations during which PTC technology is not enabled, including after certain initialization failures or in cases where a PTC system needs to be temporarily disabled to facilitate repair, maintenance, infrastructure upgrades, or capital projects. FRA expects PTC systems to be reliable and robust, further reducing the occurrence of initialization failures and outages. The NPRM proposes to establish strict parameters and operating restrictions under which railroads may continue to operate safely in certain necessary scenarios when PTC technology is temporarily not governing rail operations. By this notice, FRA is extending the NPRM's comment period, which will close on December 27, 2024, by 15 days.
Freight Car Safety Standards Implementing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
FRA is amending the Freight Car Safety Standards (FCSS) to implement section 22425 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Act). The Act places certain restrictions on newly built freight cars placed into service in the United States (U.S.) including limiting content that originates from a country of concern (COC) or is sourced from a state-owned enterprise (SOE) and prohibiting sensitive technology that originates from a COC or is sourced from a SOE. The Act mandates that FRA issue a regulation to monitor and enforce industry's compliance with the Act's standards.
Section 139 Efficient Environmental Reviews for Project Decisionmaking and One Federal Decision Interim Final Guidance
This notice requests comments on FHWA, FRA, and FTA's (collectively the "Agencies") revised Section 139 Efficient Environmental Reviews for Project Decisionmaking and One Federal Decision Interim Final Guidance (Interim Final Guidance). This Interim Final Guidance explains the environmental review process and best management practices for the surface transportation projects to which the Section 139 environmental review process applies. This Interim Final Guidance supersedes and replaces the SAFETEA-LU Environmental Review Process Final Guidance, jointly issued by FHWA and FTA in 2006. This Interim Final Guidance reflects statutory amendments to the Section 139 environmental review process and includes information on the FRA and railroad projects.
Trinity Railway Express's Request To Amend Its Positive Train Control Safety Plan and Positive Train Control System
This document provides the public with notice that, on October 30, 2024, Trinity Railway Express (TRE) submitted its Positive Train Control Safety Plan (PTCSP), Version 2.0, dated October 30, 2024, to FRA's Secure Information Repository. TRE asks FRA to approve its updated PTCSP and certify TRE's Interoperable Electronic Train Management System (I-ETMS) as a "mixed" positive train control (PTC) system. As this RFA may involve a request for FRA's approval of proposed material modifications to an FRA-certified PTC system, FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on TRE's RFA to its PTCSP.
TEXRail's Request To Amend Its Positive Train Control Safety Plan and Positive Train Control System
This document provides the public with notice that, on October 31, 2024, TEXRail (TEX) submitted its Positive Train Control Safety Plan (PTCSP), Version 2.0, dated October 9, 2024, to FRA's Secure Information Repository. TEX asks FRA to approve its updated PTCSP and certify TEX's Interoperable Electronic Train Management System (I-ETMS) as a "mixed" positive train control (PTC) system. As this RFA may involve a request for FRA's approval of proposed material modifications to an FRA-certified PTC system, FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on TEX's RFA to its PTCSP.
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
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 October 4, 2024, FRA published a notice providing a 60-day period for public comment on the ICR. FRA received no comments in response to the notice.
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation's Request To Amend Its Positive Train Control Safety Plan and Positive Train Control System
This document provides the public with notice that, on November 21, 2024, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) submitted a request for amendment (RFA) to its FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plan (PTCSP) to provide supplemental information to its initial RFA, submitted October 16, 2024, which requested FRA's approval for an increase to the system maximum operational speed from 150 miles per hour (MPH) to 160 MPH. As this RFA may involve 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 Amtrak's RFA to its PTCSP.
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