[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 220 (Friday, November 14, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 61163]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-30032]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Notice of Safety Advisory

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of safety advisory amendment.

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SUMMARY: FRA is amending Safety Advisory 97-1, which addresses safety 
practices to reduce the risk of casualties from train derailments 
caused by damage to tracks, roadbed, and bridges resulting from 
uncontrolled flows of water and similar weather-related phenomena, by 
revising the recommendation concerning the transmission of flash flood 
warnings to train dispatchers or other employees controlling the 
movement of trains.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gordon A. Davids, P.E., Bridge 
Engineer, Office of Safety Assurance and Compliance, FRA, 400 Seventh 
Street, S.W., RRS-15, Mail Stop 25, Washington, D.C. 20590 (telephone 
202-632-3340) or Daniel L. Alpert, Trial Attorney, Office of Chief 
Counsel, FRA, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., RCC-12, Mail Stop 10, 
Washington, D.C. 20590 (telephone 202-632-3186).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 4, 1997, FRA issued Safety 
Advisory 97-1 (SA 97-1) (62 FR 46793), recommending that railroads take 
certain actions to reduce the risk of train derailments which could 
result from severe weather conditions, particularly undetected flash 
floods. The first recommendation of SA 97-1 reads as follows:

    1. The railroad should have in place a procedure that will 
assure that all notifications issued by the National Weather Service 
(NWS) of flash flood warnings will be received within 15 minutes of 
issuance from the NWS, directly or through a contract weather 
forecasting service, by the train dispatchers or other employees 
controlling the movement of trains on all track of Class 4 or higher 
or upon which passenger trains operate in commuter or intercity 
service, within the warning area. In the case of such track located 
outside of the warning area but subject to damage from water 
resulting from the storm, the information should be obtained in time 
to permit timely response by the railroad.

The intent of the recommendation is for all flash flood warnings issued 
by the NWS for the area in which an affected railroad operates to be 
received by the personnel who control train operations in the area of 
the warning. It is not necessary that the warning come directly from 
the NWS, but it should be received intact and in a timely manner.
    Since SA 97-1 was issued, FRA has become aware of several 
circumstances in which large railroads with centralized dispatching 
operations have contracted with specialized weather services for 
weather information tailored to the situation and requirements of the 
railroad. Several of those contract services do not pass on all NWS 
warnings, but instead analyze the warnings in the light of other 
weather data available to them and their knowledge of the specific 
situation and requirements of their clients in order to provide only 
the weather information that affects the client and to filter out 
irrelevant information. This process reduces the amount of information 
that the client is required to consider and evaluate, and allows the 
client to focus on information that, in the view of the contract 
weather service, might actually affect the client's property and 
operations.
    FRA now believes that this procedure offered by contract weather 
services might meet the requirements of some railroads better than if 
all NWS warnings are passed on by the contract weather service en 
masse, regardless of their relevance to the individual railroad. 
Therefore, Safety Advisory 97-1 is amended in part by revising 
Recommendation 1 to read as follows:

    1. The railroad should have in place a procedure that will 
assure that the train dispatchers or other employees controlling the 
movement of trains on all track of Class 4 or higher or upon which 
passenger trains operate in commuter or intercity service will 
receive timely warnings of any flash flood that might damage that 
track or its supporting structures. In the case of such track 
located outside of the warning area but subject to damage from water 
resulting from the storm, the information should be obtained in time 
to permit timely response by the railroad. The warning procedure 
should incorporate either:
    a. The means to receive within 15 minutes of issuance by the 
National Weather Service (NWS) all NWS flood warnings for the area 
in which the track is located; or
    b. An arrangement with a competent commercial weather service 
which receives and reviews warnings and weather data from the NWS as 
part of its warning procedures, and from which the railroad receives 
warnings and weather information that is specific to the situation 
and requirements of the railroad.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 10, 1997.
George A. Gavalla,
Acting Associate Administrator for Safety.
[FR Doc. 97-30032 Filed 11-13-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P