[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 22, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51056-51057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-21348]


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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) has received a request for waiver of compliance 
with certain requirements of the Federal railroad safety regulations. 
The individual petition is described below, including the party seeking 
relief, the regulatory and statutory provisions involved, the nature of 
the relief being sought and the petitioner's arguments in favor of 
relief.

CSX Transportation

Docket No. FRA-2000-7783

    The CSX Transportation (CSXT) seeks a waiver of compliance from 
certain provisions of 49 CFR Part 213, the Federal Track Safety 
Standards. Specifically, the petitioner seeks relief from the 
requirements of section 213.345 (vehicle qualification testing) and 
sections 213.57 and 213.329 (curves, elevation and speed limitations 
for track classes 1 through 5 and 6 through 9, respectively) in order 
to conduct a one-time only series of tests and demonstrations of the 
RTL-III turbine-powered trainset.
    The tests and demonstrations would last approximately two days and 
would be conducted at speeds up to 125 miles per hour and six inches of 
cant deficiency between Albany/Rensselaer (CP 142) and Stuyvesant (CP-
124) on the Hudson Line in New York State. The petitioner does not seek 
to qualify the trainset for 125 mph revenue service at this time. CSXT 
owns the track over which the runs will operate. The National Railroad 
Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) is responsible for the track maintenance 
over this segment and CSXT maintains the signal system.
    In its petition, CSXT advises that the RTL-III trainset is an 
upgraded version of the RTL-II trainset which was previously tested in 
1995 under waivers H-94-3 and H-94-4 at 125 mph in the same limits as 
proposed in this waiver petition. After the tests and demonstrations 
were completed in 1995, the waivers expired. The RTL has operated in 
revenue service for several years at speeds up to 110 mph on the Hudson 
Line.
    The trainset, designated RTL-III, like the RTL-II, is designed to 
operate at a maximum speed of 125 mph. The truck suspension is 
identical to that of the RTL-II and the vehicle weights are within five 
percent of the RTL-II weights.
    Since 1995 and 1996 when the RTL-II was tested at speeds up to 125 
mph and six inches of cant deficiency, FRA issued a final rule for the 
revision of the Federal Track Safety Standards (see 63 FR 3399, June 
22, 1998). The new standards now contain requirements (Subpart G) for 
track classes 6 through 9 for speeds between 90 mph and 200 mph. 
Section 213.345(a) requires that equipment that operates in track 
classes 6 through 9 be qualified over the route using the safety limits 
for wheel/rail forces and accelerations specified in paragraph (b) 
under the procedures specified in paragraphs (c) through (f). In its 
petition, CSXT states that, in view of the limited number or runs and 
the previously demonstrated satisfactory performance of the RTL-II at 
125 mph and six inches of cant deficiency, it is requesting relief from 
the requirements in Section 213.345.
    CSXT is also requesting relief from the requirements of Sections 
213.57 and 213.329. Specifically, the sections limit the roll angle and 
percent unloading of equipment which operates at higher cant 
deficiencies. The term cant deficiency refers to the theoretical

[[Page 51057]]

amount of superelevation that would have to be added to the existing 
superelevation in order for the forces to be balanced (same on both 
rails) as the train negotiates a curve. In practice, trains seldom 
operate at a balanced speed for the given curvature and superelevation. 
CSXT points out in its petition that the RTL-II has been successfully 
tested at curving speed producing more than 6 inches of cant deficiency 
and the wheel unloading was well within established limits.
    CSXT states that the new track safety standards limit the roll 
angle when the coaches are placed on an elevated track corresponding to 
the amount of cant deficiency to 5.7 degrees. The standards also limit 
the roll angle to 8.6 degrees when the vehicle is placed on seven 
inches of superelevation. The measurements for the RTL coaches are 7.5 
degrees and 8.8 degrees, respectively. The roll angle between the floor 
of a passenger-carrying vehicle's floor and the horizontal results in a 
limitation on the amount of ``g's'' felt by passengers in a lateral 
direction. However, considering the long operating history, CSXT and 
Amtrak believe the equipment will be acceptable for the testing and 
demonstration runs requested in this petition.
    The CSXT petition contained a test plan prepared by Amtrak which 
addresses a number of safety-related items which were included in the 
testing back in 1995 and 1996. Each public or private highway/grade 
crossing not equipped with active warning devices and where the test 
speeds will be more than 10 mph greater than the maximum timetable 
speed would be flagged or barricaded.
    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 2000-7783) 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 30 days of the date of this notice 
will be considered by ERA 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.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 16, 2000.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. 00-21348 Filed 8-21-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P