Document ID: FRA-1999-6404-0096
Agency: fra
Document Type: Notice
Title: Petitions for Waivers of Compliance: National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Posted Date: 2017-11-24T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 225 (Friday, November 24, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 55919]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-25361]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-1999-6404]

Petition for Waiver of Compliance

    In accordance with Part 211 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR), this provides the public notice that on September 6, 
2017, The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) petitioned 
the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for an amendment to a waiver 
of compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad safety 
regulations contained at 49 CFR 238.111, Pre-revenue service acceptance 
testing plan. FRA assigned the petition docket number FRA-1999-6404.
    Specifically, Amtrak and the Washington State Department of 
Transportation (WSDOT) are requesting permission to operate Talgo 
articulated trainsets on Sound Transit's Lakewood Subdivision near 
Tacoma, Washington.
    In 2010, WSDOT was awarded nearly $800 million of American Recovery 
and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail funds 
to improve Amtrak Cascades service in the Pacific Northwest. Two of the 
projects funded by this ARRA grant program provided over $200 million 
to upgrade Sound Transit's Lakewood Subdivision. These upgrades have 
provided infrastructure to allow for the re-routing of Amtrak's long 
distance and Amtrak Cascades regional trains off a portion of BNSF 
Railway's (BNSF) Seattle Subdivision. The Lakewood Subdivision has 
substantially less freight traffic than the existing route along BNSF's 
Seattle Subdivision.
    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 parties 
desire 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 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 January 8, 2018 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 also https://www.regulations.gov/privacyNotice for the 
privacy notice of regulations.gov.

    Issued in Washington, DC.
Robert C. Lauby,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-25361 Filed 11-22-17; 8:45 am]
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