[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 95 (Tuesday, May 16, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31206-31207]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-12313]


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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.

The Texas Mexican Railway Company

[Waiver Petition Docket Number FRA-2000-7040]

    The Texas Mexican Railway Company (TM) seeks a permanent waiver of 
compliance from certain provisions of the Safety Appliances Standards, 
49 CFR part 231, and the Power Brakes and Drawbars regulations, 49 CFR 
part 232, concerning RoadRailer train operations over their 
railroad system. Specifically, TM requests relief from the requirements 
of 49 CFR part 231, which specifies the number, location and 
dimensional specifications for handholds, ladders, sill steps, 
uncoupling levers, and handbrakes; and Sec. 232.2, which regulates 
drawbar height.
    TM would like to begin operations of RoadRailer equipment 
over its system in connection with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe 
Railway (BNSF) and/or the Kansas City Southern Railroad to and from 
interchange with the Transportation Ferroviaria Mexicana at Laredo, 
Texas, with movement of the equipment between interchange points at 
Beaumont, Houston, or Corpus Christi, Texas. TM requests that FRA 
consider this waiver under the same conditions as granted to BNSF under 
Docket Number FRA 1999-5895.
    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 1999-
5894) and must be submitted to the Docket Clerk, DOT Docket Management 
Facility, Room PL-401 (Plaza Level), 400 7th Street, SW, Washington, DC 
20590. Communications received within 15 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 the 
above facility. 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.


[[Page 31207]]


    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 9, 2000.
Michael J. Logue,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Compliance and Program 
Implementation.
[FR Doc. 00-12313 Filed 5-15-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P