[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 77 (Thursday, April 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19854-19855]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10047]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration
[FRA Docket No. FRA-1999-5103; Old Docket No. RST-93-3]


Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Co.; Petition for an 
Extension and Modification of a Waiver of Compliance with Certain 
Provisions of 49 CFR 213.113(a)(2), Notes C and D

    In accordance with 49 CFR 211.41, notice is hereby given that The 
Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) has petitioned 
the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) under date of December 2, 
1998, for extension and modification of a waiver of compliance with 
certain requirements of Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 
213: Track Safety Standards. This proceeding

[[Page 19855]]

was previously identified with FRA Docket Number RST-93-3.
    The present waiver was granted by FRA to BNSF in August 1990 to 
permit the use on certain BNSF tracks of a device known as a Bulldog 
Clamp. The purpose of the device is to provide additional 
security between detection and removal of certain types of transverse 
defects internal to a rail head. The device achieves this purpose by 
functioning as a boltless track joint centered on a rail at the 
location of a flaw and being attached to the rail by two ``C'' clamps. 
It is claimed that avoidance of bolting the joint saves times, but more 
important, eliminates drilled bolt holes in the rail web which can 
serve later as sources of equally unwanted defects of a different type. 
FRA has granted extensions to that original waiver up to the present 
time.
    BNSF specifically requests of the Federal Railroad Administration 
(FRA) that the subject waiver be extended for an indefinite period 
unless modified or revoked by FRA, that BNSF be relieved from monthly 
reporting as presently required in the terms of the waiver, and that 
the waiver be made applicable on additional tracks owned by BNSF beyond 
the ten line segments presently encompassed in the waiver.
    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 be 
identified with docket number FRA-1999-5103 and must be submitted to 
the Docket Clerk, DOT Central Docket Management Facility, Room PL-401, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001. Communications received within 30 days of 
publication 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. to 5 p.m.) at DOT Central Docket Management Facility, Room PL-
401 (Plaza Level), 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC. All 
documents in the public docket are also available for inspection and 
copying on the Internet at the docket facility's Web site at
http://dms.dot.gov.

    Issued in Washington, DC on April 7, 1999.
Edward R. English,
Director, Office of Safety Assurance and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 99-10047 Filed 4-21-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-M