[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 105 (Monday, June 2, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29776-29777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14247]


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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) received a request for a waiver of compliance with 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.

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority

[Waiver Petition Docket Number H-97-2]

    The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) 
seeks a waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Railroad 
Locomotive Safety Standards, 49 CFR Section 229.29, for its 304 MU 
locomotives. Specifically, SEPTA wants to extend the required time 
intervals for cleaning, repairing, and testing of MU locomotive brake 
equipment from 736 days to 1104 days.
    SEPTA believes that granting this waiver will in no way diminish 
the safety of its operations and base its opinion on the following 
declarations:
     All of the major components of (or components virtually 
identical to) SEPTA's MU brake systems are being used successfully with 
3 or 4 year clean, oil, test, and stencil (COT&S) intervals on the 
National Railroad Passenger Corporation, New Jersey Transit, and 
freight railroads.

[[Page 29777]]

     The condition of the internal components of the brake 
valves at the 2 year COT&S interval is excellent.
     All of SEPTA's MU locomotives with air compressors are 
equipped with air dryers, as are all of its shop air supplies. (SEPTA 
has no yard air plants).
     SEPTA's MU fleet is confined to a small area. All air 
brake valves are rebuilt at one location, and failures are entered into 
a computer tracking system for monitoring of brake system performance 
to aid in quick identification of and reaction to any failure trends.
     Testing recently completed by Metro-North Railroad (Metro-
North) demonstrating that extending COT&S to 1104 days could be 
accomplished without compromising brake system reliability and safety 
was successful. While SEPTA's equipment is not identical to Metro-
North's, SEPTA feels the hardware and service requirements are very 
similar.
    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 H-97-2] 
and must be submitted in triplicate to the Docket Clerk, Office of 
Chief Counsel, FRA, Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20590. 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 (9:00 a.m.-
5:00 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 May 20, 1997.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. 97-14247 Filed 5-30-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P