Document ID: FRA-2008-0066-0003
Agency: fra
Document Type: Rule
Title: Petition for Waiver of Compliance: Austin&amp; Texas Central Railroad
Posted Date: 2008-09-08T04:00Z

[Federal Register: September 8, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 174)]
[Notices]               
[Page 52078-52079]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08se08-111]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

 
Petition for Waiver of Compliance

    In accordance with Part 211 of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR), notice is hereby given that the Federal Railroad Administration 
(FRA) has received a request for a waiver of compliance from certain 
requirements of its safety standards. The individual petition is 
described below, including the party seeking relief, the regulatory 
provisions involved, the nature of the relief being requested, and the 
petitioner's arguments in favor of relief.

Austin & Texas Central Railroad

[Waiver Petition Docket Number FRA-2008-0066]

    The Austin & Texas Central Railroad (ATCX) of Austin, Texas, has 
petitioned for an extension of an existing safety glazing waiver (RSGM-
97-02) of compliance from Title 49 CFR Part 223 to increase running 
track speed for four sleeper/lounge passenger cars operated by ATCX in 
excursion service. These cars are two sleeper lounge passenger cars 
NKP-151 and ATSF 1343, and two Pullman Coach Cars ATCX 107 and ATCX 
325.
    ATCX intends to use the cars in passenger excursion service at 
speeds not to exceed 25 miles per hour (mph) over 154 miles of track 
owned by the city of Austin, Texas, between Cedar Park, TX, and 
Burnette, TX. ATCX operates one train daily on weekends from March to 
December, with occasional weekday trains. The original waiver specified 
that the maximum track speed shall not exceed 20 mph under condition 
7. The following are reasons for the request to increase the 
track speed to 25 mph:
     The authority to occupy the main track is now in the form 
of Track Warrant Control for the majority of the line and yard limits 
in a few limited areas.
     Track warrants are issued by controllers in a centralized 
dispatching center and apply to all rail line traffic including 
passenger, commuter, freight, and Hyrail and Maintenance of Way 
Operations.
     Maximum authorized speed is now 25 mph as per ATCX 
Timetable 2.

[[Page 52079]]

    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 (e.g., Waiver Petition Docket Number FRA-
2008-0066) 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 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; Pages 
19477-78).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 3, 2008.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. E8-20725 Filed 9-5-08; 8:45 am]

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