Document ID: FRA-2015-0139-0002
Agency: fra
Document Type: Notice
Title: Petitions for Waivers of Compliance: National Railroad Passenger Corp. (Amtrak)
Posted Date: 2016-01-11T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 6 (Monday, January 11, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 1286]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-202]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2015-0139]

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 September 22, 2015, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation 
(Amtrak) 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 238, Passenger Equipment 
Safety Standards. FRA assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-2015-
0139.
    Amtrak seeks a temporary waiver of compliance from the requirements 
of 49 CFR 238.115(b)(1)(2), which covers ``marking and instructions for 
emergency egress and rescue access,'' and references APTA PR-E-S_013-
99, Rev. 1, ``Standard for Emergency Lighting System Design for 
Passenger Cars,'' for a period of 12 months until December 31, 2016. 
Amtrak is seeking this temporary relief as it works to bring 70 percent 
of its passenger rolling stock fleet that was ordered prior to 
September 8, 2000, and placed in service prior to September 9, 2002, 
into compliance with the emergency lighting requirements. Amtrak 
justifies the need for this deadline extension because it will need to 
test between 201 and 408 cars across its fleets located at multiple 
locations spanning geographic areas from the East Coast to the West 
Coast as outlined in its petition. Amtrak indicates that this 70-
percent modification goal may require modification to as many as 1,200 
of the passenger cars listed in its petition (the comprehensive listing 
of equipment includes Acela, TALGO, Surfliners, Comets, Heritage, 
Superliner 1, Superliner 2, Amfleet 1, Amfleet 2, Viewliner, Horizon, 
Metroliner, LDSL, and various inspection cars).
    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 FRA-2015-0139 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 February 25, 2016 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.

Robert C. Lauby,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-202 Filed 1-8-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P