[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 23, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33415-33416]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-12918]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Petition for Waiver of Compliance

    In accordance with Part 211 of Title 49, Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR), notice is hereby given that the Federal Railroad 
Administration (FRA) received a request for a continued waiver of 
compliance with provisions of the Hours of Service Law (108 Stat. 888, 
Pub. L. 103-272, 49 U.S.C. 21102(b)). The Hours of Service Law 
currently makes it unlawful for a railroad to require specified 
employees to remain on duty in excess of 12 hours. However, the Hours 
of Service Law contains a provision permitting a railroad, which 
employs not more than 15 employees subject to the statute, to seek an 
exemption from the 12 hour limitation.

Pioneer Valley Railroad (PVRR)

[Waiver Petition Docket No. FRA-2000-7094]

    The PVRR seeks to continue its exemption so that it may permit 
train crew employees to remain on duty not more than 16 hours in any 
24-hour period. The PVRR states that it is not its intention to employ 
a train crew over 12 hours per day under normal circumstances, but this 
exemption, if continued, would help its operation if unusual operating 
conditions are encountered. The PVRR provides service on over 16.9 
miles of trackage wholly within the state of Massachusetts with 
headquarters in Westfield, Massachusetts.
    The petitioner indicates that granting the exemption is in the 
public interest and will not adversely affect safety. Additionally, the 
petitioner asserts it employs not more than 15 employees and has 
demonstrated good cause for granting this exemption.
    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 party 
desires an opportunity for oral comment, they should notify FRA, in 
writing, before the end of the comment period and specify the basis for 
their request.

[[Page 33416]]

    All communications concerning these proceedings should identify the 
appropriate docket number (e.g., Waiver Petition Docket Number 2000-
7094) and must be submitted to the Docket Clerk, DOT Docket Management 
Facility, Room PL-401 (Plaza Level), 400 7th Street, S.W., Washington, 
D.C. 20590. Communications received within 45 days of the date of this 
notice will be considered by FRA before final action is taken. Comments 
received after that date will be considered as far as practicable. All 
written communications concerning these proceedings are available for 
examination during regular business hours (9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) at the 
above facility. All documents in the public docket are also available 
for inspection and copying on the Internet at the docket facility's web 
site at http://dms.dot.gov.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 18, 2000.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. 00-12918 Filed 5-22-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P