Petition for Waiver of Compliance

• Citation: 85 FR 11445
• Record Number: 2020-03984
• Published date: 27 February 2020
• Section: Notices
• Court: Federal Railroad Administration,Transportation Department

Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2020)

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2020)]
                [Notices]
                [Page 11445]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2020-03984]
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                DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
                Federal Railroad Administration
                [Docket Number FRA-2020-0016]
                Petition for Waiver of Compliance
                 Under part 211 of title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), this
                provides the public notice that on January 7, 2020, the Northeast
                Illinois Railroad Corporation (Metra) and the Northern Indiana Commuter
                Transportation District (NICTD) petitioned the Federal Railroad
                Administration (FRA) for a waiver of compliance from certain provisions
                of the Federal Railroad safety regulations contained at 49 CFR
                238.309(b)(3). FRA assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-2020-0016.
                 Metra and NICTD seek relief from the requirement to clean, repair,
                and test every 1,840 days (5 years) for their ``KB-HL1'' air brake
                system to study the feasibility of clean, repair, and test intervals
                extended beyond 5 years. Specifically, this petition serves as an
                update to a previously approved FRA waiver contained at Docket Number
                FRA-2006-24562, now expired, which allowed a 5-year (1,840 days) clean,
                repair, and test interval, instead of the previous 2-year requirement.
                Due to the increased size of the fleets and the continued high level of
                reliability, performance, and safety of the KB-HL-1 air brake system,
                petitioners request to restart the relief as an age exploration waiver,
                to allow intervals beyond 5 years.
                 A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications
                concerning the petition, is available for review online at
                www.regulations.gov and in person at the U.S. Department of
                Transportation's (DOT) Docket Operations Facility, 1200 New Jersey Ave.
                SE, W12-140, Washington, DC 20590. The Docket Operations Facility is
                open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
                Holidays.
                 Interested parties are invited to participate in these proceedings
                by submitting written views, data, or comments. FRA does not anticipate
                scheduling a public hearing in connection with these proceedings since
                the facts do not appear to warrant a hearing. If any interested parties
                desire an opportunity for oral comment and a public hearing, they
                should notify FRA, in writing, before the end of the comment period and
                specify the basis for their request.
                 All communications concerning these proceedings should identify the
                appropriate docket number and may be submitted by any of the following
                methods:
                 Website: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
                instructions for submitting comments.
                 Fax: 202-493-2251.
                 Mail: Docket Operations Facility, U.S. Department of
                Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, W12-140, Washington, DC 20590.
                 Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Room W12-140,
                Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
                except Federal Holidays.
                 Communications received by April 13, 2020 will be considered by FRA
                before final action is taken. Comments received after that date will be
                considered if practicable.
                 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), 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/privacyNotice for the
                privacy notice of regulations.gov.
                 Issued in Washington, DC.
                John Karl Alexy,
                Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
                [FR Doc. 2020-03984 Filed 2-26-20; 8:45 am]
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