[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 214 (Monday, November 4, 1996)] [Notices] [Page 56733] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 96-28151] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration [FRA Docket No. RST-96-2] Petition for Waiver of Compliance Cant Deficient Passenger Train Operation In accordance with Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Sections 211.9 and 211.41, notice is hereby given that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) received from the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) a request for waiver of compliance with certain requirements of 49 CFR Part 213: TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS. The purpose of Amtrak's petition is to secure approval from FRA to operate equipment know as RoadRailers in passenger trains that are now permitted to operate at four inches of cant deficiency. After Amtrak takes delivery, the RoadRailers will be used primarily in trains for time-sensitive first and second class mail. For several years, Amtrak has operated passenger trains with a variety of equipment at four inches of cant deficiency (underbalance) on tracks either owned by Amtrak or other railroads such as Union Pacific, Burlington Northern, and Southern Pacific. This has allowed Amtrak to increase average train speeds and reduce the number of late arrivals. Without approval for the operation of RoadRailers at four inches of cant deficiency, Amtrak would have to revert to slower curving speeds on passenger trains that have RoadRailers in their consists. Currently, Section 213.57(b) permits a maximum of three inches to be used as the underbalance term (cant deficiency) in the formulation of curve/speed tables by track maintenance engineers defining train speeds for curved track superelevations for any route between two points. The waivers granted Amtrak and the other railroads permit the substitution of four inches in the Vmax formula in Section 213.57. 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 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 this proceeding should identify the appropriate docket number (e.g., Waiver Petition Docket No. RST-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 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 FRA's temporary docket room located at 1120 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Room 7051, Washington, D.C. 20005. Issued in Washington, D.C. on October 23, 1996. Phil Olekszyk, Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Compliance and Program Implementation. [FR Doc. 96-28151 Filed 11-01-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-06-P