[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 49 (Monday, March 13, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 13411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-6075]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a 
Railroad Signal System or Relief From the Requirements of Title 49 Code 
of Federal Regulations Part 236

    Pursuant to Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 235 and 
49 U.S.C. 20502(a), the following railroads have petitioned the Federal 
Railroad Administration (FRA) seeking approval for the discontinuance 
or modification of the signal system or relief from the requirements of 
49 CFR Part 236 as detailed below.
    Docket No. FRA-2000-6812.
    Applicant: Union Pacific Railroad Company, Mr. Phil Abaray, Chief 
Engineer--Signals, 1416 Dodge Street, Room 1000, Omaha, Nebraska 68179-
1000.
    The Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) seeks relief from the 
requirements of the Rules, Standard and Instructions, 49 CFR, Part 236, 
Sec. 236.110, to the extent that each test record, need not be signed 
by the person making the test, in lieu of implementing an electronic 
record system (``STARS'') to record and maintain signal records of 
tests. The ``STARS'' electronic record system will provide integrity 
and several levels of security to uniquely identify a person as the 
author of a specific record, and once the test record is entered, 
verified, and saved it cannot be modified. Initially, ``STARS'' will 
not be inclusive of all Part 236 records of tests, and future 
development may result in the addition of subsequent test records. This 
petition is associated with UP's request to utilize the ``STARS'' 
electronic record system for recording and maintaining applicable 
inspection and test records as defined in 49 CFR, Part 234, subject to 
approval by the Associate Administrator for Safety, as required by 
Section 234.273.
    Applicant's justification for relief: To provide more flexibility 
for Federal and State Inspectors who are required to check and inspect 
records of tests over the UP system.
    Any interested party desiring to protest the granting of an 
application shall set forth specifically the grounds upon which the 
protest is made, and contain a concise statement of the interest of the 
Protestant in the proceeding. Additionally, one copy of the protest 
shall be furnished to the applicant at the address listed above.
    All communications concerning this proceeding should be identified 
by the docket number and must be submitted to the Docket Clerk, DOT 
Central Docket Management Facility, Room PI-401, Washington, D.C. 
20590-0001. Communications received within 45 days of the date of this 
notice will be considered by the 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 DOT Central Docket Management Facility, Room PI-401 
(Plaza Level), 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590-0001. 
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.
    FRA expects to be able to determine these matters without an oral 
hearing. However, if a specific request for an oral hearing is 
accompanied by a showing that the party is unable to adequately present 
his or her position by written statements, an application may be set 
for public hearing.

    Issued in Washington, D.C. on March 8, 2000.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. 00-6075 Filed 3-10-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P