Document ID: FRA-2008-0135-0012
Agency: fra
Document Type: Notice
Title: Petition for Waiver of Compliance
Posted Date: 2021-03-16T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14521-14522]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05373]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2008-0135]

Petition for Waiver of Compliance

    Under part 211 of title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), this 
document provides the public notice that on February 22, 2021, the Port 
Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation (PATH) petitioned the Federal 
Railroad Administration (FRA) for an extension of a waiver of 
compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad safety 
regulations contained at 49 CFR part 229, Railroad Locomotive Safety 
Standards. FRA assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-2008-0135.
    Specifically, PATH requests continued relief from 49 CFR 229.123, 
Pilots, snowplows, end plates, which requires lead locomotives to be 
equipped with a pilot, snowplow, or end plate that extends across both 
rails. PATH further requests that the relief be effective for the life 
of the current PATH PA-5 fleet, noting that a waiver of this same 
regulation covering the prior fleet of PATH cars, as well as the 
current PA-5 fleet, has been in effect for over 31 years. PATH states 
the installation of such a device to deflect foreign objects from the 
running rail could possibly cause such an object to be deflected into 
the power rail, potentially causing power outages or damage due to 
electrical arcing. PATH also explains the addition of a pilot would 
interfere with the transponder interrogator antennas that are currently 
installed as part of the Communications Based Train Control system.
    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 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:
     Website: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Operations Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, W12-140, Washington, DC 
20590.
     Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Ave. 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 30, 2021 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

[[Page 14522]]

also https://www.regulations.gov/privacyNotice for the privacy notice 
of regulations.gov.

    Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-05373 Filed 3-15-21; 8:45 am]
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