[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 184 (Friday, September 21, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 48736]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-23547]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2001-9270]


Wabtec Railway Electronics; Public Hearing

    On April 6, 2001, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 
published a notice in the Federal Register (66 FR 18351) announcing 
Wabtec Railway Electronic's (Wabtec) request to obtain a permanent 
waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Power Brakes and 
Drawbars regulations, 49 CFR part 232, regarding two-way end-of-train 
devices. Specifically, Sec. 232.23(f)(2), which requires: ``The rear 
unit batteries shall be sufficiently charged at the initial terminal or 
other point where the device is installed and throughout the train's 
trip to ensure that the end-of-train-device will remain operative until 
the train reaches its destination.'' Due to an administrative error on 
the part of the agency, an incomplete copy of Wabtec's petition was 
filed in the public docket. That error was corrected and FRA extended 
the comment period by thirty days with a notice in the Federal Register 
(66 FR 31274).
    As a result of the comments received by FRA concerning this waiver 
petition, FRA has determined that a public hearing is necessary before 
a final decision is made on this petition. Accordingly, a public 
hearing is hearby set for 10 a.m. on October 18, 2001, in Conference 
Room #1 on the seventh floor, at the FRA Headquarters Building, 1120 
Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20005. Interested parties are 
invited to present oral statements at this hearing. The hearing will be 
informal and will be conducted in accordance with Rule 25 of the FRA 
Rules of Practice (49 CFR 211.25) by a representative designated by the 
FRA. The FRA representative will make an opening statement outlining 
the scope of the hearing, as well as any additional procedures for the 
conduct of the hearing. The hearing will be a non-adversarial 
proceeding in which all interested parties will be given the 
opportunity to express their views regarding this waiver petition, 
without cross-examination. After all initial statements have been 
completed, those persons wishing to make a brief rebuttal will be given 
an opportunity to do so in the same order in which initial statements 
were made.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 12, 2001.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. 01-23547 Filed 9-20-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P