[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 14, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 8326]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3347]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

 [Docket Number FRA-2010-0180]


Petition for Waiver of Compliance

    In accordance with part 211 of title 49 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR), this document provides the public notice that by a 
document dated January 26, 2011, the Denton County Transportation 
Authority (DCTA) has petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration 
(FRA) for a waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Federal 
railroad safety regulations. FRA assigned the petition Docket Number 
FRA-2010-0180.
    Specifically, DCTA has ordered 11 Stadler Bussnang AG, GTW \2/6\ 
Diesel Multiple Units. These vehicles are constructed by a European 
manufacturer and meet European safety standards for crashworthiness and 
related safety measures. Currently, these vehicles are being delivered 
and tested at a DCTA maintenance facility. DCTA now seeks relief from 
certain requirements of the ``Technical Criteria and Procedures for 
Evaluating the Crashworthiness and Occupant Protection Performance of 
Alternatively Designed Passenger Rail Equipment for use in Tier I 
Service.'' In 2010, FRA formed an Engineering Task Force (ETF) to 
develop crashworthiness criteria for an alternatively designed and 
constructed passenger vehicle to be capable of operating on the general 
railroad system with other compliant Tier 1 equipments.
    The waiver petition includes documentation on the following 
crashworthiness issues as required by ETF-1:
    <bullet> Collision with Conventional Equipment
    <bullet> Occupant Volume Integrity
    <bullet> Colliding Equipment Override
    <bullet> Fluid Entry Inhibition
    <bullet> End Structure Integrity of Cab End
    <bullet> End Structure Integrity of Non-Cab End
    <bullet> Roof Integrity
    <bullet> Side Structure Integrity
    <bullet> Truck to Carbody Attachment
    <bullet> Interior Fixture Attachment
    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.
    All communications concerning these proceedings should identify the 
appropriate docket number and may be submitted by any of the following 
methods:
    <bullet> Web site: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments.
    <bullet> Fax: 202-493-2251.
    <bullet> Mail: Docket Operations Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., W12-140, Washington, DC 
20590.
    <bullet> Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal Holidays.
    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 a.m.-5 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://www.regulations.gov.
    Anyone is able to 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 comment, 
if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). 
You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal 
Register published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Page 
19477), or at http://www.dot.gov/privacy.html.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 8, 2012.
Ron Hynes,
Acting Deputy Associate Administrator for Regulatory and Legislative 
Operations.
[FR Doc. 2012-3347 Filed 2-13-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P