Petition for Modification of Standards and Alternate Compliance

• Court: Federal Railroad Administration,Transportation Department
• Citation: 87 FR 12759
• Published date: 07 March 2022
• Section: Notices
• Record Number: 2022-04763

Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 44 (Monday, March 7, 2022)

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 44 (Monday, March 7, 2022)]
                [Notices]
                [Page 12759]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2022-04763]
                [[Page 12759]]
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                DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
                Federal Railroad Administration
                [Docket Number FRA-2022-0017]
                Petition for Modification of Standards and Alternate Compliance
                 Under part 232 of title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), this
                document provides the public notice that on February 8, 2022, the
                HeritageRail Alliance (HRA) (co-sponsored jointly by the Railroad
                Passenger Car Alliance (RPCA)) petitioned the Federal Railroad
                Administration (FRA) for a modification of standards and alternate
                compliance in accordance with 49 CFR 232.307, Modification of brake
                test procedures, pertaining to the Federal railroad safety regulations
                contained at 49 CFR 232.717, Freight and passenger train car brakes.
                FRA assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-2022-0017.
                 Specifically, HRA/RPCA requests a modification of standards and
                alternative compliance pursuant to 49 CFR 232.717(d) using HRA
                Recommended Practice RP-001-21, which includes proposed alternate
                compliance methods to fulfill the requirements of Sec. 232.717,
                Freight and passenger train car brakes.\1\ HRA states that many
                tourist/museum operations employ obsolete equipment types that are not
                subject to current Association of American Railroads (AAR) Interchange
                Rules, nor any other currently published maintenance standard, and that
                in recent years the maintenance of railroad mechanical systems has
                moved away from prescribed periodic attention to performance based
                systems, and that the assurance of safety is achieved by employing more
                frequent periodic testing (primarily single car tests) to detect
                degradation of performance. Railroads have also identified
                opportunities to extend service intervals through application of newer
                materials, and as tourist and excursion equipment is often used
                infrequently, extended service periods may be warranted. The
                Recommended Practice includes justification of the reduction of
                cleaning, oiling, testing, and stenciling periods (an activity that in
                itself can degrade the performance and service life of the equipment),
                and provides documentation guides on the operating history to assure
                compliance with the conditions of the extension.
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                 \1\ To view the Recommended Practice, see https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2022-0017-0001.
                _____________________________________-
                 A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications
                concerning the petition, is available for review online at
                www.regulations.gov.
                 Interested parties are invited to participate in these proceedings
                by submitting written views, data, or comments.
                 All communications concerning these proceedings should identify the
                appropriate docket number and may be submitted at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting
                comments.
                 Communications received by May 6, 2022 will be considered by FRA
                before final action is taken. Pursuant to Sec. 232.307(d), if no
                comment objecting to the requested modification is received during the
                60-day comment period, or if FRA does not issue a written objection to
                the requested modification, the modification will become effective May
                23, 2022.
                 Anyone can search the electronic form of any written communications
                and comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the
                individual submitting the comment (or signing the document, if
                submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.).
                Under 5 U.S.C. 553(c), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
                solicits comments from the public to better inform its processes. DOT
                posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information
                the commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the
                system of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at
                https://www.transportation.gov/privacy. See also https://www.regulations.gov/privacy-notice for the privacy notice of
                regulations.gov.
                 Issued in Washington, DC.
                John Karl Alexy,
                Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
                [FR Doc. 2022-04763 Filed 3-4-22; 8:45 am]
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