[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 125 (Thursday, June 28, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34513-34514]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16280]


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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 Requirements

    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-2001-9841
    Applicants: NJ Transit Rail Operations, Inc., Mr. William R. Knapp, 
Vice President and General Manager-Rail, One Penn Plaza East, Newark, 
New Jersey 07105-2246; Norfolk Southern Corporation, Mr. Tony L. 
Ingram, Vice President--Transportation, 185 Spring Street, SW, Atlanta, 
Georgia 30303.
    NJ Transit Rail Operations, Incorporated (NJ TRANSIT) and Norfolk 
Southern Corporation (NS) seek relief from the requirements of Part 236 
Section 236.566, of the Rules, Standards and Instructions, to the 
extent that NJ Transit and NS be permitted to operate non-equipped 
freight and work train locomotives in Advanced Speed Enforcement System 
(ASES) train control territory.
    NJ Transit is installing ASES to enhance safety on its entire 
property beginning with the Pascack Valley Line, on the single main 
track from Pascack Jct., milepost 7.7 to Woodbine Yard, milepost 31.1, 
on the Hoboken Division.
    Applicant's justification for relief: An initial incremental 
installation of ASES is planned for passenger trains only, while 
software development, verification, and validation proceed on the more 
complex functionality required for full implementation of freight and 
work train modes, as well as, interoperability with Amtrak's Advanced 
Civil Speed Enforcement System which is currently being installed on 
Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. All trains operating in the territory 
where Cab Signal System rules are in effect will continue to be 
equipped with operational cab signals. Passenger trains will be 
equipped with

[[Page 34514]]

the first-generation ASES. Freight and work trains operating rules will 
not be altered; they will not be permitted on the main track during 
hours when passenger operations are scheduled.
    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 
party 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 a.m.-5 
p.m.) at DOT Central Docket Management Facility, Room PI-401 (Plaza 
Level), 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 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, DC on June 21, 2001.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. 01-16280 Filed 6-27-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P