[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 75 (Thursday, April 18, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 19312]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-9421]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2002-11533]


Petition for Waiver of Compliance

    In 1996, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) received from 
the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) a request for a 
waiver of compliance from certain requirements of FRA rail safety 
regulations in order to allow them to develop, implement, and test 
technology designed to prevent train collisions and overspeed 
violations. The pilot program was for the development, testing, 
installation, and demonstration of Incremental Train Control System 
(ITCS), a communications-based train control system, along Amtrak's 
Detroit to Chicago corridor. See 61 FR 41199 (August 7, 1996). That 
petition was docketed as Waiver Petition Docket No. H-96-1. Amtrak 
requested permission to operate under specified conditions, non-revenue 
test trains at speeds in excess of 79 mph, not to exceed 110 mph.
    On September 24, 1999, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 
modified certain conditions imposed in approval of Docket No. H-96-1. 
See 64 FR 25114 (May 19, 1999). FRA approved a phased test program. 
Phase One included operation of non-revenue test trains at speeds in 
excess of 79 mph, not to exceed 110 mph. In Phase Two ITCS would be 
implemented in revenue service with enforcement at speeds not to exceed 
79 mph for a period not less than 90 days. Phase Three included 
implementation of ITCS in revenue service with enforcement at 2 speeds 
not to exceed 90 mph for a period of not more than 300 days. At the 
conclusion of the 300 day period, the waiver terminates.
    Amtrak is now conducting tests as part of Phase three and as such, 
is operating non-revenue test trains at speeds up to 110 mph. 
Permission to operate this test train at that speed was granted in 
FRA's original approval of H-96-1.
    The purpose of this notice is to provide an update of the status of 
this test program and to clarify the extent of the 1999 waiver 
modifications. Additionally, this waiver is being re-docketed in the 
Department of Transportation's Docket Management System to provide the 
public with electronic access to docketed materials. This public 
docket, Docket No. FRA-2002-11533 is available for inspection and 
downloading on the Internet at the docket facility's web site at http://dms.dot.gov. The docket is also available for inspection at DOT 
Central Docket Management Facility, Room PL-401 (Plaza Level) 400 
Seventh Street, SW., Washington. DC.

    Issued in Washington, DC on April 11, 2002.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. 02-9421 Filed 4-17-02; 8:45 am]
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