37904 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 121 / Friday, June 24, 2022 / Notices 

1Persons interested in submitting an OFA must 

first file a formal expression of intent to file an 

offer, indicating the type of financial assistance they 

wish to provide (i.e., subsidy or purchase) and 

demonstrating that they are preliminarily 

financially responsible. See 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2)(i). 

2The Board will grant a stay if an informed 

decision on environmental issues (whether raised 

by a party or by the Board’s Office of Environmental 

Analysis (OEA) in its independent investigation) 

cannot be made before the exemption’s effective 

date. See Exemption of Out-of-Serv. Rail Lines, 5 

I.C.C.2d 377 (1989). Any request for a stay should 

be filed as soon as possible so that the Board may 

take appropriate action before the exemption’s 

effective date. 

3Filing fees for OFAs and trail use requests can 

be found at 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25) and (27), 

respectively. 

been decided in favor of a complainant 

within the two-year period; and (4) the 

requirements at 49 CFR 1105.7(b) and 

1105.8(c) (notice of environmental and 

historic reports), 49 CFR 1105.12 

(newspaper publication), and 49 CFR 

1152.50(d)(1) (notice to government 

agencies) have been met. 

As a condition to this exemption, any 

employee adversely affected by the 

abandonment shall be protected under 

Oregon Short Line Railroad— 

Abandonment Portion Goshen Branch 

Between Firth & Ammon, in Bingham & 

Bonneville Counties, Idaho, 360 I.C.C. 

91 (1979). To address whether this 

condition adequately protects affected 

employees, a petition for partial 

revocation under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) 

must be filed. 

Provided no formal expression of 

intent to file an offer of financial 

assistance (OFA) has been received,1

this exemption will be effective on July 

24, 2022, unless stayed pending 

reconsideration. Petitions to stay that do 

not involve environmental issues 2 must 

be filed by July 1, 2022. Formal 

expressions of intent to file an OFA 

under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2) and interim 

trail use/rail banking requests under 49 

CFR 1152.29 must be filed by July 5, 

2022.3 Petitions to reopen or requests 

for public use conditions under 49 CFR 

1152.28 must be filed by July 14, 2022. 

All pleadings, referring to Docket No. 

AB 55 (Sub-No. 808X), must be filed 

with the Surface Transportation Board 

either via e-filing on the Board’s website 

or in writing addressed to 395 E Street 

SW, Washington, DC 20423–0001. In 

addition, a copy of each pleading must 

be served on CSXT’s representative, 

Louis E. Gitomer, Law Offices of Louis 

E. Gitomer, LLC, 600 Baltimore Avenue, 

Suite 301, Towson, MD 21204. 

If the verified notice contains false or 

misleading information, the exemption 

is void ab initio. 

CSXT has filed a combined 

environmental and historic report that 

addresses the potential effects, if any, of 

the abandonment on the environment 

and historic resources. OEA will issue a 

Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft 

EA) by July 1, 2022. The Draft EA will 

be available to interested persons on the 

Board’s website, by writing to OEA, or 

by calling OEA at (202) 245–0294. 

Assistance for the hearing impaired is 

available through the Federal Relay 

Service at (800) 877–8339. Comments 

on environmental or historic 

preservation matters must be filed 

within 15 days after the Draft EA 

becomes available to the public. 

Environmental, historic preservation, 

public use, or trail use/rail banking 

conditions will be imposed, where 

appropriate, in a subsequent decision. 

Pursuant to the provisions of 49 CFR 

1152.29(e)(2), CSXT shall file a notice of 

consummation with the Board to signify 

that it has exercised the authority 

granted and fully abandoned the Line. If 

consummation has not been effected by 

CSXT’s filing of a notice of 

consummation by June 24, 2023, and 

there are no legal or regulatory barriers 

to consummation, the authority to 

abandon will automatically expire. 

Board decisions and notices are 

available at www.stb.gov. 

Decided: June 16, 2022. 

By the Board, Valerie O. Quinn, Acting 

Director, Office of Proceedings. 

Jeffrey Herzig, 

Clearance Clerk. 

[FR Doc. 2022–13437 Filed 6–23–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket Number FRA–2010–0100] 

Petition for Extension of Waiver of 

Compliance 

Under part 211 of title 49 Code of 

Federal Regulations (CFR), this 

document provides the public notice 

that on May 31, 2022, Brownsville & Rio 

Grande International Railway, LLC 

(BRG) petitioned the Federal Railroad 

Administration (FRA) to extend a 

waiver of compliance from certain 

provisions of the Federal railroad safety 

regulations contained at 49 CFR part 

215 (Railroad Freight Car Safety 

Standards) and § 232.205, Class I Brake 

Test—Initial Terminal Inspection. FRA 

assigned the petition Docket Number 

FRA–2010–0100. 

Specifically, BRG seeks to retain relief 

that permits BRG to pick up trains 

received in interchange at the U.S./ 

Mexico border from Kansas City 

Southern de Mexico Railway (KCSM) 

via Union Pacific Railroad Company 

(UP) at UP’s Olmito Yard in Olmito, 

Texas (in lieu of BRG’s interchange 

point with UP at milepost (MP) 4.48), 

and move them to perform the required 

FRA inspections (see Docket Number 

FRA–2007–28340). BRG’s existing relief 

states that the inspection location is on 

BRG’s South Lead on the Palo Alto 

Subdivision, between MPs 2.0 and 3.0. 

In this request, BRG seeks to modify the 

inspection location to between MPs 1.0 

and 3.0. 

In support of its petition, BRG states 

the extension would help expedite any 

delays caused by required port of entry 

inspections and other unforeseen 

delays. It would also provide capacity to 

process two inbound trains back-toback, allowing for more efficient use of 

bridge windows. BRG further states that 

the change will support the ongoing 

extensive growth in the Rio Grande 

Valley. 

A copy of the petition, as well as any 

written communications concerning the 

petition, is available for review online at 

www.regulations.gov. 

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 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 at http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 

instructions for submitting comments. 

Communications received by August 

8, 2022 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 


jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 121 / Friday, June 24, 2022 / Notices 37905 

1The definitions used in this Notice are 

consistent with FRA’s Draft Guidance on 

Development and Implementation of Railroad 

Capital Projects, currently available for public 

comment at https://www.regulations.gov (docket 

number FRA–2022–0035). To the extent necessary, 

FRA will update definitions in the NOFO. 

also https://www.regulations.gov/ 

privacy-notice for the privacy notice of 

regulations.gov. 

Issued in Washington, DC. 

John Karl Alexy, 

Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety 

Chief Safety Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2022–13493 Filed 6–23–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket No. FRA–2022–0049] 

Federal-State Partnership for Intercity 

Passenger Rail Program; Northeast 

Corridor Project Inventory 

AGENCY: Federal Railroad 

Administration (FRA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of Proposed Approach 

(Notice) to the Northeast Corridor 

Project Inventory and the Federal-State 

Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail 

Program for Northeast Corridor projects. 

SUMMARY: FRA is publishing this Notice 

to describe its proposed approach to the 

development of the Northeast Corridor 

(NEC) project inventory (NEC Project 

Inventory), which is a required 

component of the Federal-State 

Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail 

Program (Partnership Program). FRA is 

required to publish an NEC Project 

Inventory not later than one year after 

the enactment of the Infrastructure 

Investment and Jobs Act, also known 

and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law 

(BIL). The NEC Project Inventory must 

be updated at least every two years. 

DATES: Written comments on this Notice 

must be received on or July 25, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to 

docket number FRA–2022–0049 and be 

submitted at https://

www.regulations.gov. See Section V for 

further information. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

additional information, please contact 

Amishi Castelli, Northeast Corridor 

Program Manager, Office of Policy and 

Planning, at email: Amishi.Castelli@

dot.gov or telephone: 202–845–4394, or 

Bryan Rodda, Lead Community Planner, 

Office of Policy and Planning, at email: 

Bryan.Rodda@dot.gov or telephone: 

202–493–0443. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents 

I. Overview 

A. Background on Northeast Corridor 

Planning 

B. Authority 

C. Definitions 

II. Eligibility 

A. Applicant Eligibility 

B. Project Eligibility 

III. NEC Project Inventory Development 

IV. Program Administration 

A. NEC Project Inventory and Notice of 

Funding Opportunity Publication 

B. Project Selections 

C. Letters of Intent and Phased Funding 

Agreements 

V. Comments 

VI. Next Steps 

I. Overview 

A. Background on Northeast Corridor 

Planning 

The NEC is the most heavily used 

passenger rail corridor in the United 

States. Pre-COVID–19, the NEC served 

over 800,000 daily passengers traveling 

on more than 2,000 daily commuter and 

intercity trains and supported 50–60 

daily freight trains. 

In 2017, FRA presented its vision for 

growth along the NEC with the NEC 

FUTURE Record of Decision. See 

www.fra.dot.gov/necfuture/tier1_eis/ 

rod/. The Northeast Corridor 

Commission (NEC Commission), 

composed of 18 members, including 

representatives from each of the eight 

Northeast Corridor states, the District of 

Columbia, Amtrak, and the U.S. 

Department of Transportation, 

subsequently developed an 

implementation plan (CONNECT NEC 

2035 or C35) to deliver the first 15-year 

phase of investment to realize the NEC 

FUTURE vision. The NEC Commission 

issued C35 in July 2021. C35 identified 

and provided a sequencing and delivery 

strategy for completing projects to 

eliminate the state of good repair 

backlog on—and modernize and make 

targeted improvements to—the NEC. See 

http://nec-commission.com/connectnec-2035/. The NEC Commission is 

currently updating C35 to reflect the 

updated project information and better 

consider workforce and funding 

constraints. 

B. Authority 

The Partnership Program was 

reauthorized and revised in the BIL, 

Title II, §§ 22106 and 22307, Public Law 

117–58 (2021); codified at 49 U.S.C. 

24911. Under the Partnership Program, 

the Secretary of Transportation 

(Secretary) is directed to develop and 

implement a program for issuing grants 

to applicants, on a competitive basis, to 

fund projects that reduce the state of 

good repair backlog, improve 

performance, or expand or establish 

new intercity passenger rail service, 

including privately operated intercity 

passenger rail service if an eligible 

applicant is involved. The Partnership 

Program revisions in the BIL require the 

Secretary to, among other things, 

develop and publish an NEC Project 

Inventory to (1) create a predictable 

project pipeline that will assist Amtrak, 

States, and the public with long-term 

capital planning, and (2) use the NEC 

Project Inventory when selecting 

projects located on the NEC for 

Partnership Program funds. 49 U.S.C. 

24911. FRA is delegated the authority 

under the BIL to establish and 

administer the Partnership Program. 49 

CFR 1.89(a). 

FRA encourages NEC stakeholders to 

submit comments to this Notice 

consistent with the directions below. 

FRA will consider these comments in 

developing the NEC Project Inventory 

and the associated Notice of Funding 

Opportunity (NOFO) for the Partnership 

Program. As described below, FRA 

plans to publish the NEC Project 

Inventory, consistent with the BIL, in 

November 2022, with the NOFO for 

projects on the NEC following closely 

after. 

C. Definitions 1

Construction Stage: the Lifecyle Stage 

of a project following the Final Design 

Lifecycle Stage and during which the 

project is completely built and placed 

into operational use. This stage may 

include physical construction, 

procurement of vehicles and equipment, 

project administration, testing of 

equipment as appropriate, systems 

integration testing, workforce training, 

system certification, procurement of 

insurance, pre-revenue service, and 

start-up testing. 

Defined Capital Renewal Projects: a 

geographically integrated set of 

activities to repair, replace, or 

modernize basic infrastructure assets 

along a corridor section that is executed 

in accordance with a defined scope, 

schedule, and budget. Basic 

infrastructure assets include rails, ties, 

ballast, communication systems, electric 

traction power systems, and undergrade 

bridges. 

Final Design Stage: the Lifecyle Stage 

of a project following the Project 

Development Lifecycle Stage during 

which the project design is advanced to 

be ready for construction. This stage 

includes development of final 

engineering plans and specifications 

necessary for construction of the project; 

securing agreements (including 


jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1