Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 37 / Wednesday, February 25, 2015 / Notices 10207 

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: 

• Web site: 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 Avenue SE., W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590. 

• 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 

April 13, 2015 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. 

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 document, if 

submitted on behalf of an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). In 

accordance with 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 

www.dot.gov/privacy. See also http://

www.regulations.gov/#!privacyNotice 

for the privacy notice of regulations.gov. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on February 19, 

2015. 

Ron Hynes, 

Director, Office of Technical Oversight. 

[FR Doc. 2015–03762 Filed 2–24–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket Number FRA–2014–0129] 

Petition for Waiver of Compliance 

In accordance with Part 211 of Title 

49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 

this provides the public notice that by 

a document dated December 14, 2014, 

Michigan Southern Railroad Company 

(MSO) has petitioned the Federal 

Railroad Administration (FRA) for a 

waiver of compliance from certain 

provisions of the Federal railroad safety 

regulations contained at 49 CFR part 

223, Safety Glazing Standards— 

Locomotives, Passenger Cars and 

Cabooses. FRA assigned the petition 

Docket Number FRA–2014–0129. 

MSO, located in Peoria, IL, has 

petitioned FRA for a waiver of 

compliance for one caboose, specifically 

Caboose MSO 500006. MSO is a 

shortline railroad that operates trains at 

10 mph or less. MSO 500006 would be 

used as a shoving platform during 

reverse moves that extend up to 5 miles 

in distance within the area of Sturgis, 

SD. Sturgis is an urban community that 

had a population of 10,884 in 2012. The 

shove move originates in the southern 

portion of the town that is an industrial/ 

rural area and ends at the wye in 

Sturgis. The shove move spans 

approximately 12 grade crossings, and 

the train lengths range from 2 to 5 cars, 

including the locomotive and caboose. 

The waiver is sought because the 

caboose is not used as historically or 

traditionally intended, and the cost to 

upgrade the equipment is significant for 

a shortline railroad. In addition, using 

the caboose would enhance employee 

safety. 

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 Avenue 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 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: 

• Web site: 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 Avenue SE., W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590. 

• 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 by April 

13, 2015 will be considered by FRA 

before final action is taken. Comments 

received after that date will be 

considered as far as practicable. 

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 document, if 

submitted on behalf of an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). In 

accordance with 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 

www.dot.gov/privacy. See also http://

www.regulations.gov/#!privacyNotice 

for the privacy notice of regulations.gov 

or interested parties may review DOT’s 

complete Privacy Act Statement in the 

Federal Register published on April 11, 

2000 (65 FR 19477). 

Issued in Washington, DC, on February 19, 

2015. 

Ron Hynes, 

Director of Technical Oversight. 

[FR Doc. 2015–03782 Filed 2–24–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket Number FRA–2014–0127] 

Petition for Waiver of Compliance 

In accordance with Part 211 of Title 

49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 

this document provides the public 

notice that by a document dated 

December 17, 2014, Keolis Commuter 

Services (KRSM), a contracted 

commuter railroad operator for the 

Massachusetts Bay Transportation 

Authority, has petitioned the Federal 

Railroad Administration (FRA) for a 

waiver of compliance from several 

provisions of the Federal railroad safety 

regulations. Specifically, KRSM requests 

relief from certain provisions of 49 CFR 

part 240, Qualification and Certification 

of Locomotive Engineers, and Part 242, 

Qualification and Certification of 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
10208 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 37 / Wednesday, February 25, 2015 / Notices 

Conductors. The request was assigned 

Docket Number FRA–2014–0127. The 

relief is contingent on KRSM’s 

implementation of and participation in 

the Confidential Close Call Reporting 

System (C3RS) pilot project. 

KRSM seeks to shield reporting 

employees and the railroad from 

mandatory punitive sanctions that 

would otherwise arise as provided in 49 

CFR 240.117(e)(1)–(4); 240.305(a)(1)–(4) 

and (a)(6); 240.307; and 242.403(b), (c), 

(e)(1)–(4), (e)(6)–(11), (f)(1)–(2). The 

C3RS pilot project encourages certified 

operating crew members to report close 

calls and protects the employees and the 

railroad from discipline or sanctions 

arising from the incidents reported per 

the C3RS Implementing Memorandum 

of Understanding. 

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 Avenue 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 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: 

• Web site: 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 Avenue SE., W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590. 

• 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 

April 13, 2015 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. 

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 document, if 

submitted on behalf of an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). In 

accordance with 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 

www.dot.gov/privacy. See also http://

www.regulations.gov/#!privacyNotice 

for the privacy notice of regulations.gov. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on February 19, 

2015. 

Ron Hynes, 

Director, Office of Technical Oversight. 

[FR Doc. 2015–03768 Filed 2–24–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket Numbers FRA–2014–0124 and 

FRA–2013–0128] 

Petition for Waiver of Compliance 

In accordance with Part 211 of Title 

49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 

this document provides the public 

notice that by a document dated 

November 18, 2014, the National 

Railroad Passenger Corporation 

(Amtrak) petitioned the Federal 

Railroad Administration (FRA) for a 

waiver of compliance from certain 

provisions of the Federal railroad safety 

regulations contained in 49 CFR, 

governing the operation of passenger 

trains on the Northeast Corridor (NEC). 

Relief was also requested from speed 

limitations imposed by the Order of 

Particular Applicability for the 

Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement 

System (ACSES) Order. [FRA Docket 

No. 87–2, Notice No. 7; 63 FR 39343; 

July 28, 1998]. FRA assigned the 

petition Docket Number FRA–2014– 

0124. 

Amtrak’s petition incorporated by 

reference a prior request for relief in 

Docket Number FRA–2013–0128 (see 79 

FR 8238; Feb. 11, 2014). Accordingly, 

additional comments may be submitted 

regarding the petition in Docket Number 

FRA–2013–0128 as well as on the new 

petition in FRA–2014–0124. 

The Amtrak petitions address two 

distinct requests. First, both petitions 

request permission to operate existing 

Acela trainsets, built in compliance 

with the specific requirements for Tier 

II equipment under 49 CFR part 238 

subpart E, at speeds up to 160 miles per 

hour (mph) in three speed zones where 

track conditions can support higher 

speeds than currently operated. As 

discussed above, Amtrak’s earlier 

petition in Docket Number FRA–2013– 

0128 proposed the same speed increase 

for a segment of track in Rhode Island, 

milepost (MP) AB 154.3 to MP AB 

171.7. 

The new petition in Docket Number 

FRA–2014–0124 adds a request for a 

160 mph speed zone in Massachusetts 

(MP AB 194 to MP AB 204) and— 

subject to completion of certain 

infrastructure improvements—a 160 

mph speed zone in New Jersey (MP AN 

33 to MP AB 55.5). 

In summary, Amtrak seeks a waiver of 

provisions in the ACSES Order and the 

150 mph limitation for Tier II 

equipment in the Passenger Equipment 

Safety Standards to permit operation up 

to 160 mph in each of these discrete 

zones. Amtrak does not seek to use the 

existing Acela trainsets at speeds higher 

than presently authorized elsewhere on 

the NEC. Amtrak notes that increasing 

speeds in the subject zones would be 

subject to special approvals qualifying 

the existing Acela Tier II trainsets at the 

higher speed under 49 CFR part 213, 

Track Safety Standards, and regulations 

governing Positive Train Control, such 

as 49 CFR part 236, Rules, Standards, 

and Instructions Governing the 

Installation, Inspection, Maintenance, 

and Repair of Signal and Train Control 

Systems, Devices, and Appliances. With 

FRA oversight, Amtrak has been 

conducting tests that, although not yet 

concluded, are intended by Amtrak to 

support qualification of the existing 

trainsets and train control system for 

160 mph operation. Successful 

completion of these processes would be 

necessary for Amtrak to use any relief 

related to the Acela service that might 

be granted in this proceeding. 

Secondly, in Docket Number FRA– 

2014–0124, Amtrak requests approval to 

operate, on the ‘‘spine’’ of the NEC 

between Washington, DC and Boston, 

new trainsets that would be built to 

‘‘Tier III’’ standards proposed by the 

second Engineering Task Force (ETF) of 

the Passenger Safety Working Group of 

the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee 

(RSAC). Those standards were accepted 

by the full RSAC on June 14, 2013, (see 

‘‘ETF_001–02—Proposed Ruletext for 

NPRM 1.docx,’’ available on the RSAC 

Web site at https://rsac.fra.dot.gov/ 

meetings/20130614.php.). Minutes of 

the June 14, 2013, RSAC meeting are 

available at https://rsac.fra.dot.gov/ 

meetings/20131031.php. 


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