[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 212 (Thursday, October 31, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56260-56262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27971]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration


Petition for Waivers of Compliance

    In accordance with 49 CFR 211.41, notice is hereby given that the 
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has received a request for a 
waiver of compliance with certain requirements of the Federal safety 
laws and regulations. The individual petition is described below, 
including the party seeking relief, the regulatory provisions

[[Page 56261]]

involved, the nature of the relief being requested and the petitioner's 
arguments in favor of relief.

Siemens Transportation Systems, Incorporated (Siemens)

Docket Number H-96-2
    Siemens requests waivers of compliance with certain provisions of 
the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) railroad safety regulations. 
It is seeking relief from sections of the Railroad Locomotive Safety 
Standards (49 CFR Part 229), the Railroad Safety Appliance Standards 
(49 CFR Part 231) and the Railroad Safety Glazing Standards (49 CFR 
Part 223). The relief is being sought in order to demonstrate the Regio 
Sprinter (Sprinter) diesel powered rail vehicle in the United States. 
The planned demonstration is being organized by Siemens and the 
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) in cooperation with 
several transit districts, private rail operators, and state 
departments of transportation.
    The Sprinter completed a 5 month demonstration in Calgary, Alberta, 
Canada and is currently in the Siemens assembly facility in Sacremento, 
California. Presently Sprinters are manufactured by Siemens A.G. in 
Krefeld, Germany. Sprinters are presently in operation in two locations 
in Germany and one in Denmark. The Sprinter was developed to serve the 
German transit non-electrified secondary lines about 30 miles long 
which link city-centers and mid-size towns with their rural 
surroundings. The Sprinter used in Calgary and which will be 
demonstrated in the United States was built for a regional rail 
authority in Germany and is on loan for the tour.
    Siemens states that all necessary modifications will be made to the 
equipment in their Sacramento facility. The horn and headlights will be 
checked and brought into compliance with Federal Railroad 
Administration (FRA) Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards, if 
necessary. Marker lights will be verified for proper color and 
intensity. The necessary communication equipment will be installed. 
Exterior sound level tests will be performed in Sacramento. The 
required air brake tests and inspections will be done prior to any 
demonstration operation.
    The Sprinter is a double articulated, 70% low floor, diesel 
hydraulic train set with an operating cab at each end carried on an 
A+2+A wheel arrangement. The driven end wheels are 30 inches in 
diameter and the center truck wheels are 20 inches in diameter. The 
Sprinter carbody is approximately 80 feet long, with a center section 
of approximately 13.5 feet. It has a maximum width of approximately 10 
feet and a height above top-of-rail of approximately 11 feet. The 
Sprinter has a tare weight of approximately 30 ton, a maximum weight of 
approximately 50 ton, seating capacity of 74 people and a maximum 
capacity of 100 people. It has a maximum speed of 60 mph. The Sprinter 
has retractable access ramps for elderly and handicapped passengers. 
The double-articulated body shell is designed as a self supporting 
aluminum structure with welded underframe and bolted side walls. The 
side walls are of FRP sandwich construction, the roof of aluminum 
sandwich construction. Two sets of two-swing plug doors measuring 52 
inches are located at each side of the sprinter.
    Located at each end of the cab is an autonomous drive system 
comprised of a 5-cylinder turbocharged and intercooled MAN B&W diesel 
engine rated at 198 horsepower direct connected to a reversing Hurth 
automatic transmission. A carden shaft connects the transmission to the 
axle gear box assembly. The transmission includes a hydrodynamic 
retarder unit. The two outer sections of the railcar run on single-axle 
driving wheel-sets, which are connected to the carbody by means of 
longitudinal steering rods. The center unit is carried on a two axle 
truck assembly. The center section is connected to the end sections 
through flexible drawbars. Each engine is suppled from a 350 liter (92 
gallon) fuel oil reservoir.
    The Sprinter brake system consists of the two transmission 
hydrodynamic retarders, a Knorr computer controlled air brake system 
and an electromagnetic track brake at the center truck. In a normal 
service brake application, braking is provided primarily by the 
transmission retarders, assisted by the air brakes, as modulated by the 
computer. This system minimizes brake lining wear. All power and 
intermediate wheel sets are equipped with two brake discs and brake 
pads. In the event of a brake computer failure, a manual air brake 
system can be utilized. The electro-magnetic track brake is provided 
for emergency braking and derives its power from the 24 volt battery 
system. The Sprinter is equipped with spring-loaded parking brakes, 
which replaces the handbrakes.
    Siemens seeks a temporary waiver from compliance with the Railroad 
Locomotive Safety Standards 49 CFR 229.71, Clearance above top of rail, 
which requires that no part or appliance of a locomotive except the 
wheels, flexible nonmetalic sand pipe extension tips, and trip cock 
arms may be less that 2\1/2\ inches above top of rail. The magnetic 
track brake of the intermediate truck is approximately 1-inch above the 
top of rail. A temporary waiver is requested from 49 CFR 229.123, 
Pilot, snowplows and end plates, which requires an end plate that 
extends across both rails, a pilot or a snow plow. The Sprinter has no 
end plate, snow plow or pilot. The ends are covered by a shroud 
fabricated of fiberglass with a foam core.
    Seimens seeks a temporary waiver from compliance with the Railroad 
Glazing Standards, Section 223.15 (a) and (b), which requires that all 
front and rear facing windows on passenger cars must meet the FRA Type 
I testing criteria and all side facing glazing on passenger cars must 
meet the FRA Type II testing criteria. The windshield and side facing 
glazing are of the bonded frameless type. The windshield is made of 6.8 
mm (.272 inch) laminated safety glass and the side windows are made of 
6 mm safety glass (.24 inch). The side windows are designed as sliding 
windows. Section 223.15(c) requires that each passenger car be equipped 
with minimum of four (4) emergency side windows. The Sprinter has no 
emergency side windows, and the escape method is to break the windows 
with emergency hammers strategically located in the passenger 
compartments. The four wide entrance doors located in the two sides of 
the Sprinter provides a high proportion of door opening to floor space 
which provides for emergency capability. The doors can be opened 
manually from inside and outside without the assistance of compressed 
air and electrical power.
    Siemens seeks a temporary waiver from Section 231.12(c), which 
requires that each passenger car with wide vestibules have two (2) 
horizontal handholds located near each end on each side of the 
vestibule end sill. The Sprinter has no horizontal handholds at either 
end. Modifying the vehicle structure for handholds is impractical for 
such a short duration test. Section 231.12(d) requires uncoupling 
levers. The Sprinter does not have a conventional AAR coupler or 
uncoupling lever at each end but is equipped with European style 
buffers and hook and turnbuckle drawgear. A tempory portable AAR 
coupler will be carried on the Sprinter for emergency moves.
    Siemens demonstration sites and dates are as follows:


[[Page 56262]]



        December, 1996                                                  
                                                                        
Folsom, California...........  Regional Transit of Greater Sacramento.  
Napa, California.............  Napa Valley Wine Train (Private          
                                railroad).                              
San Jose, California.........  Transit Authority of Santa Clara County. 
                                                                        
        January, 1997                                                   
                                                                        
Santa Cruz, California.......  Santa Cruz Transit District.             
Oceanside, California........  North County Transit District.           
Los Angeles, California......  Los Angeles Metrolink.                   
Williams, Arizona............  Grand Canyon Railways (Private railroad).
                                                                        
        February, 1997                                                  
                                                                        
Austin, Texas................  Capitol Metro Transit.                   
Tampa, Florida...............  Hartline Transit-Hillsborough County.    
Orlando, Florida.............  Lynx Transit-Greater Orlando.            
                                                                        
         March, 1997                                                    
                                                                        
North Carolina...............  Triangle Transit-Raleigh, Durham, Chapel 
                                Hill District.                          
                                                                        
      March/April, 1997                                                 
                                                                        
New Jersey...................  New Jersey Transit.                      
                                                                        

    The planned demonstration tour will focus on locations where there 
are lightly used secondary branch lines, which could be used for future 
passenger service. Siemens does not intend to demonstrate the Sprinter 
on main lines of operation. Movement of the Sprinter from demonstration 
site to site will be done as either a rail movement where short 
distances are involved, or on a special leased 89 foot flat car for 
long hauls. The moves will be coordinated by Amtrak and the local 
authorities. In many cases the Sprinter service will be run on track 
where there is only infrequent switching operations.
    Interested parties are invited to participate in this proceeding by 
submitting written views, data, or comments. FRA does not anticipate 
scheduling a public hearing in connection with this proceeding 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 H-96-2) 
and must be submitted in triplicate to the Docket Clerk, Office of 
Chief Counsel, Federal Railroad Administration, Nassif Building, 400 
Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590. Communications received 
within 30 days of the date of publication of this notice will be 
considered 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.) in Room 8201, 
Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590.

    Issued in Washington, D.C. on October 28, 1996.
Phil Olekszyk,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Compliance and Program 
Implementation.
[FR Doc. 96-27971 Filed 10-30-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P