[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 203 (Thursday, October 19, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 62804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-26812]



[[Page 62804]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Notice of 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-2000-7700]

    Applicant: Union Pacific Railroad Company, Mr. Lee A. Roach, 
Director--Operating Practices, 1416 Dodge Street, Room 625, Omaha, 
Nebraska 68179.
    The Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) seeks relief from the 
requirements of the Rules, Standard and Instructions, Title 49 CFR, 
Part 236, Secs. 236.566, 236.567, and 236.587, in all UP automatic cab 
signal (ACS) territory west of Council Bluffs, Iowa and Kansas City, 
Missouri, to the extent as follows:

Section 236.566--That UP be permitted to operate non-equipped foreign 
or detour train movements, in ACS territory, by wayside signal 
indications, at maximum authorized timetable speeds, without 
establishing an absolute block.
Section 236.567--That UP be permitted to operate failure en route, ACS 
locomotives, by wayside signal indications, at maximum authorized 
timetable speeds, without establishing an absolute block.
Section 236.587--That UP be permitted to operate a previously tested 
ACS equipped locomotive, without another departure test, when the 
locomotive changes direction more than 24 hours after its initial 
terminal departure test.

    Applicant's justification for relief: To place UP on equal footing 
with competitors that do not have ACS and are allowed to operate solely 
as governed by regulations applicable to their wayside signal systems. 
The application of the referenced regulations serves to impede UP 
operations and effectively place UP at a competitive disadvantage 
compared to competitors that do not have ACS.
    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 October 12, 2000.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. 00-26812 Filed 10-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-U