[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 204 (Monday, October 21, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54698-54699]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-26832]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. RSAC-96-1, Notice No. 3]


Railroad Safety Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (``RSAC'') 
Meeting.

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SUMMARY: As required by Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), and 41 CFR 101-6.1015(b), the Federal 
Railroad Administration (FRA) gives notice of a meeting of the Railroad 
Safety Advisory Committee (``RSAC''). The meeting is designed to 
accomplish several things: (1) the RSAC's evaluation for consensus 
approval of the Track Safety Standards working group's proposal for the 
revision of the track safety standards contained in 49 CFR Part 213; 
(2) presentation to the RSAC of the Radio Communications and Power 
Brake working groups' consensus reports, which represent the principles 
the groups have agreed must be contained in any revision to these 
regulations (49 CFR Parts 220, 215, 229, and 232); (3) the RSAC's 
receipt of progress information about the Tourist and Historic 
Railroads working group's revision of the Steam Locomotive Inspection 
standards (49 CFR Part 230); (4) the agency's tasking of the RSAC with 
the revision of miscellaneous aspects of the regulations addressing 
Locomotive Engineer Certification (49 CFR Part 240); (5) the tasking of 
the RSAC with the development of On-Track Equipment safety standards; 
(6) the RSAC's consideration of the establishment of an interim working 
group to review and make recommendations about the agency's Report to 
Congress on Locomotive Crashworthiness and Working Conditions; and (7) 
the agency's engagement in exploratory discussions with the RSAC 
regarding several issues that may be tasked to the RSAC in the future 
(dispatcher training standards, blue signal protection, event 
recorders, and positive train control).

DATES: The meeting of the RSAC is scheduled to commence at 8:30 a.m. on 
both Thursday, October 31st and on Friday, November 1st, concluding at 
12:00 p.m. on November 1st.

ADDRESSES: The meeting of the RSAC will be held at the Washington Vista 
Hotel, 1400 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. The meeting is open to the 
public on a first-come, first-served basis and is accessible to 
individuals with disabilities. Sign language interpreters will be 
available for individuals with hearing impediments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vicky McCully, FRA, 400 7th Street, 
S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590, (202) 632-3330, Grady Cothen, Deputy 
Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program Development, 
FRA, 400 7th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590, (202) 632-3309, or 
Lisa Levine, Office of Chief Counsel, FRA, 400 7th Street, S.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20590, (202) 632-3189.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), FRA is giving notice of a 
meeting of the Railroad Safety Advisory

[[Page 54699]]

Committee (``RSAC''). The meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on 
both Thursday, October 31, 1996 and Friday, November 1, 1996 and will 
conclude at 5:00 p.m. on October 31st and 12:00 p.m. on November 1st. 
The meeting will be held at the Washington Vista Hotel, 1400 M Street, 
N.W., Washington, D.C. All times noted are Eastern Standard Time.
    RSAC was established to provide advice and recommendations to the 
FRA on railroad safety matters. The Committee consists of 48 individual 
representatives, drawn from among 27 organizations representing various 
rail industry perspectives, and 2 associate non-voting representatives 
from the agencies with railroad safety regulatory responsibility in 
Canada and Mexico.
    During this meeting, the RSAC will be considering, for consensus 
approval, the Track Safety Standards working group's proposal for the 
revision of the track safety standards contained in 49 CFR Part 213. 
The Committee will also be receiving presentations on the consensus 
reports of the Railroad Communications working group (addressing the 
revision of the radio standards and procedures contained in 49 CFR Part 
220), and the Power Brake working group (addressing the revision of the 
power brake regulations applicable to freight service, and related 
topics, contained in 49 CFR Parts 215, 229, and 232). These two reports 
represent the principles the groups have agreed must be contained in 
any revision to these regulations. The RSAC will also be receiving a 
report from the Tourist and Historic Railroads working group (reviewing 
existing and proposed regulations to determine appropriate 
applicability to tourist and historic railroads, and examining FRA's 
policy with respect to exercise of jurisdiction over railroads off the 
general system of rail transportation) on the progress made by its task 
force to revise Part 230, Steam Locomotive Inspection standards.
    The Committee will also be receiving two new tasks: (1) 
Miscellaneous revisions to the regulations addressing Locomotive 
Engineer Certification (49 CFR Part 240); and (2) the creation of On-
Track Equipment safety standards. The agency will also be requesting, 
during this meeting, that the Committee consider establishing an 
interim working group to review and make recommendations about the 
agency's Report to Congress on Locomotive Crash-worthiness and Working 
Conditions.
    Finally, the agency will engage in exploratory discussion with the 
RSAC regarding the following issues, which may be tasked to the RSAC in 
the future:
     Dispatcher Training Standards: Discussion of an FRA issue 
paper and the timetable for the RSAC's consideration of this issue;
     Blue Signal Protection: Discussion of an FRA issue paper 
and the appropriate scope for any future proceeding;
     Event Recorders: Discussion of accident survivability 
standards for locomotive event recorder data (see 49 CFR Sec. 229.135) 
(may be proposed for tasking at this meeting);
     Positive Train Control: Discussion of the status of 
technology demonstrations, as well as of various petitions the agency 
has received on this subject.
    Please refer to the notice published in the Federal Register on 
March 11, 1996 (61 FR 9740) for more information about the RSAC.

    Issued in Washington, D.C. on October 15, 1996.
Bruce Fine,
Associate Administrator for Safety.
[FR Doc. 96-26832 Filed 10-18-96; 8:45 am]
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