[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28238-28242]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-13038]



[[Page 28238]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration
[FRA Docket No. FRA-1999-5685, Notice No. 1]
Federal Transit Administration
RIN 2130-AB33


Proposed Joint Statement of Agency Policy Concerning Shared Use 
of the General Railroad System by Conventional Railroads and Light Rail 
Transit Systems

AGENCIES: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Transit 
Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Proposed policy statement.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Federal 
Transit Administration (FTA) have been working together to develop a 
policy concerning safety issues related to light rail transit 
operations that take place, or are planned to take place, on the 
general railroad system. This policy explains how the two agencies 
intend to coordinate use of their respective safety authorities with 
regard to such shared use operations. The policy also summarizes how 
the process of obtaining waivers of FRA's safety regulations may work, 
especially where the light rail and conventional rail operations occur 
at different times of day. FRA will soon issue a separate proposed 
statement of policy providing more details on its jurisdiction and a 
more detailed explanation of issues that will be addressed in the 
waiver process related to shared use of the general system.
    The agencies are not required by law to provide notice and 
opportunity for comment on a statement of policy. However, given the 
number of shared use operations being planned around the nation and the 
level of interest in how the safety of those operations will be 
assured, the agencies concluded that they could benefit from receiving 
comments before drafting their policy in final. The agencies do not 
plan to hold a hearing, but will discuss the proposed statement with 
interested groups.

DATES: Submit written comments on or before July 30, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Procedures for written comments: Submit one copy to the 
Department of Transportation Central Docket Management Facility located 
in room PL-401 at the Plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. All docket material on the proposed 
statement will be available for inspection at this address and on the 
Internet at http://doms.dot.gov. (Docket hours at the Nassif Building 
are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding Federal holidays.) 
Persons desiring notification that their comments have been received 
should submit a stamped, self-addressed postcard with their comments. 
The postcard will be returned to the addressee with a notation of the 
date on which the comments were received.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory B. McBride, Deputy Chief 
Counsel, FTA, TCC-2, Room 9316, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590 (telephone: (202) 366-4063); and Daniel C. Smith, Assistant Chief 
Counsel for Safety, FRA, RCC-10, 1120 Vermont Avenue, NW., Mail Stop 
10, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6029).

Proposed Joint Statement of Agency Policy Concerning Shared Use of 
the General Railroad System by Conventional Railroads and Light 
Rail Transit Systems

    In many areas of the United States, local communities are 
considering, planning, or developing light rail, street-level transit 
systems similar to those now in operation in Portland, Oregon; 
Sacramento, California; Dallas, Texas; San Diego, California; and 
Baltimore, Maryland. Patterned on the trolleys that operated along the 
streets of hundreds of American cities and towns earlier in the 
century, these newer light rail systems promote more livable 
communities by serving those who live and work in urban areas without 
adding additional congestion to the nation's crowded highways.
    Like the existing systems in San Diego and Baltimore, some of the 
planned light rail operations would, in addition to service provided 
along community streets, take advantage of underutilized urban freight 
rail corridors to provide service that, in the absence of the existing 
right of way, would be prohibitively expensive. These potential 
passenger services generally envision light rail operations during the 
day and freight operations during the night. Some plans also envision 
rail transit operations on a right-of-way shared with intercity 
passenger or commuter operations.
    The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has long regulated the 
nation's railroads for safety purposes. FRA's railroad safety 
jurisdiction extends to all types of railroads, including ``commuter or 
other short-haul railroad passenger service in a metropolitan or 
suburban area,'' but does not include ``rapid transit operations in an 
urban area that are not connected to the general railroad system of 
transportation.'' 49 U.S.C. 20102. In this statutory context, ``rapid 
transit operations'' refers to rail systems that, while they may haul 
many commuters, are devoted in substantial part to moving people from 
point to point within an urban area. Such systems (e.g., the Washington 
Metro and San Francisco's BART) may use heavy subway, elevated, or 
light rail equipment and will be covered in this statement by the 
general terms ``local rail transit'' or ``light rail transit.'' 
``Commuter'' service, by contrast, refers to systems that have as their 
primary purpose transporting commuters to and from work within a 
metropolitan area, but do not devote a substantial portion of their 
service to moving passengers between stations within an urban area. 
Examples include Metra in Chicago and the Long Island Railroad in New 
York. FRA's jurisdiction covers all commuter railroad operations 
without regard to their general system connections or the type of 
equipment they use. This statement of policy does not apply to commuter 
railroad operations.
    Until recently, there was no Federal program for addressing the 
safety of local rail transit systems that are not subject to FRA's 
safety jurisdiction (i.e., those not connected to the general railroad 
system). However, faced with the growing movement to develop new rail 
transit systems, Congress addressed the safety of such systems in the 
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, requiring 
that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issue regulations 
requiring that states having rail fixed guideway mass transportation 
systems ``not subject to regulation by the Federal Railroad 
Administration'' establish a state safety oversight program. 49 U.S.C. 
5330. Those regulations, which appear at 49 CFR part 659, provide that 
they apply where FRA does not regulate. Thus, with no overlap in 
jurisdiction, Congress has now provided for the oversight of both 
railroads subject to FRA's safety jurisdiction and rail transit systems 
that are not connected to the general railroad system.
    The primary issue addressed by this policy statement is the means 
by which FRA and FTA propose to coordinate their safety programs with 
regard to rail transit systems that share tracks with freight 
railroads. Although compatible in terms of track gage, these two forms 
of rail service are incompatible in terms of equipment. A collision 
between a light rail transit vehicle with passengers aboard and heavy-
duty freight or passenger equipment would likely result in catastrophe. 
This statement will also address how the two agencies

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will coordinate their programs with regard to rail transit systems that 
operate within the same right-of-way as conventional equipment but 
without actually sharing trackage.
    FRA will soon separately issue a proposed statement of agency 
policy concerning its safety jurisdiction over railroad passenger 
operations. In that statement, the reader will find a thorough 
discussion of the extent and exercise of FRA's jurisdiction and 
guidance on which of FRA's safety rules are likely to apply in 
particular operational situations. In general, FRA provides safety 
oversight of all railroad operations except rapid transit operations 
that have no significant connection to the general railroad system, 
such as the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in Chicago, the Washington 
Metro, and the subway systems in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. As 
noted, the safety rules of FRA and FTA are mutually exclusive. If FRA 
regulates a rail system, FTA's rules on state safety oversight do not 
apply. Conversely, if FRA does not regulate a system, FTA's rules do 
apply, assuming that the system otherwise meets the definition of a 
``rail fixed guideway system'' under 49 CFR 659.5. FRA's policy 
statement reviewing in detail its jurisdiction will more clearly define 
where FTA's rules apply.
    This joint statement is intended to: (1) Explain the nature of the 
most important safety issues related to shared use of the general 
railroad system by conventional and rail transit equipment; (2) 
summarize the application of FRA safety rules to such shared-use 
operations; and (3) help transit authorities, railroads, and other 
interested parties understand how the respective safety programs of the 
two agencies will be coordinated.

1. Safety Issues Related to Shared Use of the General System

    The expansion of rail passenger transportation promises significant 
benefits to America's communities in terms of reduced highway 
congestion, reduced pollution, lower commuting times, and increased 
economic opportunities. However, the expansion of rail transit systems 
operating over portions of conventional railroad trackage poses major 
safety issues that must be addressed if such service is to be provided 
within a suitably safe transportation environment.
Potential for a Collision
    The most important safety issue related to shared use of the 
general railroad system is the potential for a catastrophic collision 
between conventional rail equipment and rail transit equipment of 
lighter weight. Because of the significantly greater mass and 
structural strength of conventional equipment, the two types of 
equipment are simply not designed to be operated in a setting where 
there is any appreciable risk of their colliding.
Shared Use of Highway-Rail Grade Crossings
    For decades, the greatest cause of death associated with 
railroading in America has been collisions between railroad vehicles 
and highway vehicles at grade crossings. Existing and contemplated 
shared-use light rail operations on the general system will typically 
involve train movements over highway grade crossings. To the extent 
train movements over grade crossings increase, the collision exposure 
to the highway user, rail employees, and rail passengers increases. We 
want to ensure that local rail transit operations that are conducted on 
the general system are designed and operated to address these serious 
risks and to prevent grade crossing collisions involving light rail 
equipment.
    A related issue is the prevalence of death and serious injury to 
trespassers on railroad property. Trespasser fatalities have recently 
outpaced grade crossing accidents as the leading cause of death on the 
nation's railroads. To the extent that shared use of the general system 
results in a substantial increase in the number of pedestrians crossing 
by foot in the path of trains, the potential for additional deaths to 
trespassers is very real and should be addressed in planning these 
operations.
Shared Infrastructure
    Light rail operations on or over the general railroad system will 
affect and be affected by the track, bridges, signals, and other 
structures on the line. The light rail and conventional systems may 
also share a communications system. The responsibility for operating 
and maintaining this shared infrastructure may vary. However, even if 
the light rail operator has no direct responsibility for maintenance, 
there will need to be sufficient coordination to alert the light rail 
operator to related safety problems and to ensure the light rail 
operator conveys relevant information (e.g., readily apparent track 
defects or signal failures) to the party responsible for operation and 
maintenance.
Employee Safety
    The safety of employees who operate trains on the general system, 
control movements over that system, or maintain its infrastructure is 
protected in certain ways by the Federal railroad safety laws. Light 
rail employees will be entitled to appropriate protections during 
shared-use operations. In addition, the light rail operators will need 
to observe rules designed to protect employees of other organizations 
who may be working along the right-of-way.

2. Approaches to Various Forms of Shared Use

Operations on the General System
    Local rail transit operations conducted over the lines of the 
general system become part of that system and necessitate FRA safety 
oversight of rail transit operations to the extent of such shared use. 
The only two existing examples are the San Diego Trolley and the 
Central Light Rail Line in Baltimore. This does not mean that all of 
FRA's regulations will be applied to all aspects of these operations. 
First, FRA has no intention of overseeing rail transit operations 
conducted separate and apart from the general system. (As noted above, 
FRA regulates commuter operations without regard to their general 
system connections.) Second, FRA anticipates granting appropriate 
waivers of its rules to permit shared use of general system lines by 
light rail and conventional equipment where the applicant transit 
systems and railroads commit to alternative measures and FRA finds that 
those measures will ensure safety.
    Where complete temporal separation between light rail and 
conventional operations is achieved, the risk of collision between the 
two types of equipment can be minimized or eliminated. Temporal 
separation involves operating conventional and light rail equipment at 
completely distinct periods of the day (e.g., where the light rail line 
operates only between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., and freight or other 
conventional rail movements occur only between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., and 
where procedures and/or technologies are in place to ensure strict 
observation of these limits). Under these circumstances, FRA 
anticipates granting necessary waivers concerning rules related to 
design of the passenger equipment, although waivers in other safety 
areas not addressed by temporal separation may not be appropriate.
Operations Outside of the Shared-Use Area
    Where local rail transit operations consist of segments that 
involve shared use with conventional equipment adjoined with segments 
that do not involve shared use (e.g., street railway

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segments), FRA does not currently intend to exercise its jurisdiction 
over operations outside of the shared-use area (which, because of their 
connection to the general system, are within FRA's jurisdiction). 
Instead, FRA, with FTA's assistance, will coordinate with the state 
oversight agency to ensure effective and non-duplicative monitoring of 
the safety of the different segments of the operation. FRA, again with 
FTA's assistance, will make every effort in its waiver process to give 
due weight to elements of the operation's system safety plan that carry 
over into the shared-use portion of the system.
Operations Within a Shared Right-of-Way
    A light rail transit operation may share a right-of-way but no 
trackage with a conventional railroad. An example is a light rail 
system whose tracks run parallel to but between the tracks of a freight 
line. Where such systems share highway-rail grade crossings with 
conventional railroads, FRA expects both systems to observe its rules 
on grade crossing signals that, for example, require prompt reports of 
warning system malfunctions. In addition, FRA and FTA will coordinate 
with rapid transit agencies and railroads wherever there are concerns 
about sufficient intrusion detection and related safety measures 
designed to avoid a collision between rapid transit trains and 
conventional equipment.
Operations Over a Rail Crossing at Grade and Other Limited Connections
    Where a rail transit system crosses a conventional railroad at 
grade, but has no other connection to the general system, FRA's safety 
rules cover the point of connection, and FRA and FTA will coordinate 
with the transit system and railroad to ensure safety at the crossing. 
FRA does not consider a switch that merely permits the transit system 
to receive shipments for its own use a connection significant enough to 
warrant application of FRA's rules.

3. FTA and FRA Safety Partnership

    FTA and FRA have been working closely together for several years to 
ensure proper coordination of their safety programs. In October 1998, 
FRA and FTA entered into an agreement designed to enhance their efforts 
in identifying and resolving safety issues in rail-related projects 
funded by FTA. Under the agreement, the agencies agreed to take actions 
that will ensure that FRA's rail safety expertise is brought to bear on 
safety issues inherent in rail grant proposals early in the planning 
and development process.
Coordination on Rail Safety Waiver Requests
    Light rail transit operators who intend to share use of the general 
railroad system with conventional equipment will either have to comply 
with FRA's safety rules or obtain a waiver of appropriate rules. FRA 
may grant a waiver ``if the waiver is in the public interest and 
consistent with railroad safety.'' 49 U.S.C. 20103(d). FRA intends to 
make its waiver process as smooth and comprehensive as possible. FTA 
will assist FRA in that effort. As part of that process, FRA asks that 
the light rail operator and all other affected railroads jointly file a 
Petition for Approval of Shared Use. In its separate statement of 
policy to be published in the near future, FRA provides guidance on 
what factors the petition should address. The factors include:
     A detailed description of both the light rail and the 
conventional railroad's operations on the shared use trackage.
     Plans for separation of the light rail and conventional 
operations by time of day, including a description of what protective 
systems will ensure that simultaneous operation of the two types of 
equipment will not occur.
     Alternative safety measures to be employed in place of 
each rule for which waiver is sought.
     Any system safety program plan developed for the 
operation, including one prepared for a stand-alone rapid transit 
segment under FTA's State Safety Oversight Program.

    Note: FRA and FTA have grave concerns about whether, given their 
structural incompatibility, light rail and conventional equipment 
can ever be operated safely on the same trackage at the same time. 
In the event that petitioners nevertheless seek approval of 
simultaneous joint use, the petitioners will face a steep burden of 
demonstrating that extraordinary safety measures will be taken to 
adequately reduce the likelihood and/or severity of a collision 
between conventional and light rail equipment to the point where the 
safety risks associated with joint use would be acceptable. FRA 
expects that such a petition will contain a considerable amount of 
additional information, including:
     Equipment specifications for any equipment that will 
not meet FRA's passenger equipment safety standards, plus an 
engineering analysis of the equipment's resistance to damage in 
various types of collisions.
     A quantitative risk assessment concerning the risk of 
collision between the light rail and conventional equipment and 
between the light rail equipment and highway vehicles.

    Like all waiver petitions, a Petition for Approval of Shared Use 
will be reviewed by FRA's Railroad Safety Board. FTA will appoint a 
non-voting liaison to FRA's board, and that person will participate in 
the board's consideration of all such petitions. This close cooperation 
between the two agencies will ensure that FRA benefits from the 
insights, particularly with regard to operational and financial issues, 
that FTA can provide about light rail operations, as well as from FTA's 
knowledge of and contacts with state safety oversight programs. This 
working relationship will also ensure that FTA has a fuller 
appreciation of the safety issues involved in each specific shared use 
operation and a voice in shaping the safety requirements that will 
apply to such operations.
    In general, the greater the safety risks inherent in a proposed 
operation the greater will be the mitigation measures required. It is 
the intention of FTA and FRA to maintain the level of safety typical of 
conventional rail passenger operations while accommodating the 
character and needs of light rail transit operations.
    FRA and FTA believe that they can give light rail operators a high 
degree of confidence that FRA will provide the waivers they need to 
operate on a time-separated basis in shared-use situations. To 
facilitate the waiver process, FRA will include in its soon-to-be-
issued proposed statement of policy a detailed statement of the rules 
light rail operators should expect to comply with and those rules from 
which they can expect to receive waivers, provided that the planned 
light rail operations will be wholly separated in time from 
conventional rail operations. For discussion purposes only, we have 
attached a chart summarizing FRA's early thinking on these issues. With 
this information, light rail operators can plan and design their 
projects in such a way that they can be confident, absent unusual facts 
about a particular project presenting some atypical safety hazard, of 
receiving the waivers needed to operate.
    In its petition, the light rail operator may want to certify that 
the subject matter addressed by the rule to be waived is addressed by 
the system safety plan and that the light rail operation will be 
monitored by the state safety oversight program. That is likely to 
expedite FRA's processing of the petition. FRA will analyze information 
submitted by the Petitioner to demonstrate that a safety matter is 
addressed by the light rail operator's system safety plan. Where FRA 
grants a waiver, the state agency will oversee the area addressed by 
the waiver, but FRA will actively participate in partnership with FTA 
and the state agency to address any safety problems. If the

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conditions under which the waiver was granted change substantially, or 
unanticipated safety issues arise, FRA may modify or withdraw a waiver 
in order to ensure safety.

Conclusion

    Expanded use of existing railroad lines to provide increased 
transportation opportunities for passengers in metropolitan areas is a 
development that FTA and FRA strongly wish to encourage. Working 
together, the two agencies intend to ensure that such development goes 
forward smoothly and in a way that guarantees that the blending of 
light rail and conventional rail operations continues their excellent 
safety records.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 18, 1999.
Jolene M. Molitoris,
Federal Railroad Administrator.
Gordon J. Linton,
Federal Transit Administrator.

Summary of FRA Waivers That May Be Appropriate for Time-Separated 
Light Rail Operations

    FRA may, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing, grant a 
waiver of a federal safety rule ``if the waiver is in the public 
interest and consistent with railroad safety.'' 49 U.S.C. 20103. This 
document lists each of FRA's railroad safety rules and provides FRA's 
early thinking on whether the operator of a light rail system that 
shares trackage with a conventional railroad should expect to comply 
with the rule on the shared track or may receive a waiver. This chart 
assumes that the operations of the local rail transit agency on the 
general railroad system are completely separated in time from 
conventional railroad operations, in accordance with guidance issued by 
FRA, and that the light rail operation poses no atypical safety 
hazards. FRA's procedural rules on matters such as enforcement (49 CFR 
parts 209 and 216), and its statutory authority to take emergency 
action to address an imminent hazard of death or injury, would apply to 
these operations in all cases.
    Where waivers are granted, a light rail operator would be expected 
to operate under a system safety plan developed in accordance with the 
FTA state safety oversight program. The state safety oversight agency 
would be responsible for the safety oversight of the light rail 
operation, even on the general system, with regard to aspects of that 
operation for which a waiver is granted. FRA will actively participate 
in partnership with the state agency to address any safety problems. If 
the conditions under which the waiver was granted change substantially, 
or unanticipated safety issues arise, FRA may modify or withdraw a 
waiver in order to ensure safety.

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       Title 49 CFR part             Subject of rule           Likely treatment                Comments
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                                         Track, Structures, and Signals
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213............................  Track Safety Standards  Comply (assuming light rail  If the conventional RR
                                                          operator owns track or has   owns the track, light
                                                          been assigned                rail will have to observe
                                                          responsibility for it).      speed limits for class of
                                                                                       track.
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233, 235, 236..................  Signal and train        Comply (assuming light rail  If conventional RR
                                  control.                operator or its contractor   maintains signals, light
                                                          has responsibility for       rail will have to abide
                                                          signal maintenance).         by operational
                                                                                       limitations and report
                                                                                       signal failures.
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234............................  Grade Crossing Signals  Comply (assuming light rail  If conventional RR
                                                          operator or its contractor   maintains devices, light
                                                          has responsibility for       rail will have to comply
                                                          crossing devices).           with sections concerning
                                                                                       activation failures and
                                                                                       false activations.
213, Appendix C................  Bridge safety policy..  Not a rule. Compliance
                                                          voluntary.
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                                           Motive Power and Equipment
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210............................  Noise emission........  Waive......................  State safety oversight.
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215............................  Freight car safety      Waive......................  State safety oversight.
                                  standards.
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221............................  Rear end marking        Waive......................  State safety oversight.
                                  devices.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
223............................  Safety glazing          Waive......................  State safety oversight.
                                  standards.
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229............................  Locomotive safety       Waive, except perhaps for    State safety oversight.
                                  standards.              alerting lights, which are
                                                          important for grade
                                                          crossing safety.
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231*...........................  Safety appliance        Waive......................  State safety oversight;
                                  standards.                                           see note below on
                                                                                       statutory requirements.
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238............................  Passenger equipment     Waive......................  State safety oversight.
                                  standards.
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                                               Operating Practices
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214............................  Bridge Worker.........  Waive......................  OSHA standards.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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214............................  Roadway Worker Safety.  Comply.....................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
217............................  Operating Rules.......  Waive......................  State safety oversight.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
218............................  Operating Practices...  Waive, except for            State safety oversight.
                                                          prohibition on tampering
                                                          with safety devices
                                                          related to signal system.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
219............................  Alcohol and Drug......  Waive if FTA rule otherwise  FTA rule may apply.
                                                          applies.
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220............................  Radio communications..  Waive, except to extent      State safety oversight.
                                                          communications with
                                                          freight trains and roadway
                                                          workers are necessary.
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225............................  Accident reporting and  Comply with regard to train  Employee injuries would be
                                  investigation.          accidents and crossing       reported under FTA or
                                                          accidents; waive as to       OSHA rules.
                                                          injuries.
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228**..........................  Hours of service        Waive (in concert with       See note below on possible
                                  recordkeeping.          waiver of statute); waiver   waiver of statutory
                                                          not likely for personnel     requirements.
                                                          who dispatch conventional
                                                          RR or maintain signal
                                                          system on shared use track.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
239............................  Passenger train         Waive......................  State safety oversight.
                                  emergency
                                  preparedness.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
240............................  Engineer certification  Waive......................  State safety oversight.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Certain safety appliance requirements (e.g., automatic couplers) are statutory and can only be waived under
  the conditions set forth in 49 U.S.C. 20306, which permits exemptions if application of the requirements would
  ``preclude the development or implementation of more efficient railroad transportation equipment or other
  transportation innovations.'' If consistent with employee safety, FRA could probably rely on this provision to
  address most light rail equipment that could not meet the standards.
** Currently, 49 U.S.C. 21108 permits FRA to waive substantive provisions of the hours of service laws based
  upon a joint petition by the railroad and affected labor organizations, after notice and an opportunity for a
  hearing. This is a ``pilot project'' provision, so waivers are limited to two years but may be extended for
  additional two-year periods after notice and an opportunity for comment.

[FR Doc. 99-13038 Filed 5-24-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P