[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 128 (Thursday, July 3, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40018-40020]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-16867]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Notice of Funds Availability for the Next Generation High-Speed 
Rail Program: Revenue Service Demonstration of Compliant Diesel 
Multiple Unit (DMU) Self-Propelled Passenger Cars

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Under this Notice, the FRA encourages interested parties to 
submit by July 31, 2003, a Statement of Interest in receiving a grant 
to support a demonstration in daily revenue commuter or intercity 
passenger service, during calendar years 2003 and 2004, of Diesel 
Multiple Unit (DMU) self-propelled passenger rail cars which comply 
with all current Federal passenger car safety standards (``Compliant 
DMU''). The purpose of the demonstration is to determine the current 
availability of Compliant DMU technology and the suitability of this

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equipment for regularly scheduled revenue service in the U.S. The 
subject Compliant DMU must meet all of the current requirements of 49 
CFR part 238, as amended; compliance via ``grandfathering'' is not 
acceptable for the purposes of this announcement.

DATES: The deadline for submissions of Statements of Interest is the 
close of business, Thursday, July 31, 2003. The actual deadline for the 
submission of applications will be noted in the solicitation from FRA 
to prospective grantees as a result of the evaluation of the Statements 
of Interest.

ADDRESSES: Applicants must submit an original and six (6) copies to the 
Federal Railroad Administration at one of the following addresses:
    Postal address (note correct zip code): Federal Railroad 
Administration, Attention: Robert L. Carpenter, Office of Procurement 
Services (RAD-30), Mail Stop 50, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20590.
    FedEx/courier address (note correct zip code): Federal Railroad 
Administration, Attention: Robert L. Carpenter, Office of Procurement 
Services (RAD-30), Room  6126, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20005.
    Due to delays caused by enhanced screening of mail delivered via 
the U.S. Postal Service, applicants are encouraged to use other means 
to assure timely receipt of materials.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Sill, Program Manager, Office of 
Railroad Development (RDV-11), Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 
Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20590. Phone: (202) 493-6348; Fax: 
(202) 493-6330, or Robert Carpenter, Grants Officer, Office of 
Acquisition and Grants Services (RAD-30), Federal Railroad 
Administration, 1120 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20590. Phone: 
(202) 493-6153; Fax: (202) 493-6171.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The demonstration will be supported with up 
to $3,974,000 of Federal funds provided to FRA's Next Generation High-
Speed Rail Program as part of the Fiscal Year 2003 Department of 
Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (included in 
Division I of the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 (Pub. L. 
108-7, February 20, 2003)). The Federal funds must be matched on a 
dollar-for-dollar basis from non-Federal sources. FRA anticipates 
soliciting a single grant application and awarding a single grant for 
the demonstration to a public transportation agency, with the intent of 
beginning demonstration as soon as possible. The funds made available 
under this grant will be available for activities related to 
establishing compliance of the DMU design with existing Federal 
passenger safety standards (49 CFR part 238, as amended), for the 
acquisition of DMUs through a conventional competitive procurement 
process, and for service facilities necessary for revenue service 
demonstration. The grantee will be responsible for all other expenses 
of the demonstration, including the cost of passenger facilities and 
any net operating expenses. FRA anticipates that no further public 
notice will be made with respect to selecting applicants for this 
demonstration.
    Purpose: There is substantial interest in the expanded use of 
passenger rail service to help address congestion in other modes of 
transportation and/or to provide for additional alternatives to meet 
current and future mobility needs. Transportation planners and 
decision-makers have expressed an interest in alternatives to 
locomotive hauled trains, which are currently the most prevalent form 
of passenger rail transportation in areas where electric operation is 
not available. Historically, DMUs were available for this purpose, but 
none has entered service domestically since FRA issued the Passenger 
Equipment Safety Standards Final Rule on May 12, 1999. Indeed, no DMUs 
had been built new in the U.S. for decades before the issuance of that 
rule. The purpose of the demonstration is to determine whether the 
current state of railroad technology development offers the 
availability, in the very near term, of a DMU self-propelled passenger 
car that meets current Federal passenger car safety standards found at 
49 CFR part 238, as amended. If such technology is available, the 
demonstration will develop technology-specific cost, maintenance, 
reliability and operating data to help transportation planners and 
decision makers determine whether a Compliant DMU should be considered 
as an option for rail-based transportation. The equipment must meet all 
of the current requirements of 49 CFR part 238, as amended; compliance 
via ``grandfathering'' is not acceptable for the purposes of this 
announcement.
    Authority: The authority for the Program can be found in Title 49, 
United States Code, Section 26102 and in Fiscal Year 2003 Department of 
Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (included in 
Division I of the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 (Pub. L. 
108-7, February 20, 2003)). The Secretary of Transportation's 
responsibilities under this program have been delegated to the Federal 
Railroad Administration.
    Funding: Fiscal Year 2003 Department of Transportation and Related 
Agencies Appropriations Act provides $3,974,000 and directs FRA to 
award a grant to demonstrate Compliant DMU vehicles. It is anticipated 
that the available funding will support one demonstration. Additional 
funding for this or related work may be available in subsequent fiscal 
years.
    Schedule for Demonstration Program: As directed by the Congress, 
FRA anticipates beginning demonstration activities in calendar 2003 and 
continuing them in 2004. It is anticipated that evaluation of the 
demonstration operation will continue for up to two years beyond the 
initial funding year. FRA anticipates that the eligible participant(s) 
will, where necessary, contract or otherwise enter into partnerships 
with developers and manufacturers of Compliant DMUs to accomplish the 
demonstration.
    Eligible Participants: Any United States public transportation 
agency or combination of such agencies is eligible to apply for funding 
under this Notice. For state applicants, if the proposed demonstration 
territory is in more than one state, a single state agency should apply 
on behalf of all of the participating states.
    Eligible Technology Demonstrations: Eligible projects must 
demonstrate a Compliant DMU vehicle in daily revenue passenger service.
    Requirements for Statements of Interest: The following points 
describe minimum content which will be required in Statements of 
Interest. Each Statement of Interest will:
    1. Describe the proposed demonstration in detail, including the 
location and transportation service to be provided, the anticipated 
start date and duration of the demonstration, anticipated schedules, 
passenger service facilities to be employed, anticipated passenger 
utilization of the demonstration service, and how necessary maintenance 
and support operations will be conducted.
    2. Describe the types of DMU technology that the public agency is 
considering and how the Compliant DMU used in the proposed 
demonstration will be selected.
    3. Describe the rail line on which the proposed demonstration will 
be conducted, including any discussions the public agency has had with 
the owner of the rail line in connection with the proposed 
demonstration.
    4. Describe the traffic types (including ownership of trains), 
volumes, and

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speeds presently involved in operation on the demonstration track 
segment(s), the planned Compliant DMU demonstration service volumes and 
speeds, and the estimated potential corridor service volumes and 
speeds.
    5. Specify the quantities and ownerships of operating vehicles 
which are anticipated to be utilized to accomplish the demonstration.
    6. Show how the demonstration system initially will operate in 
relation to existing service, both passenger and freight.
    7. Show the estimated total cost and time for accomplishing each 
task for implementing the demonstration, including estimates broken 
out, at a minimum, into the following categories: demonstration 
planning and installation, Compliant DMU equipment acquisition, and 
operating and maintenance schedules and costs. Specify sources of 
proposed funding, clearly indicating sources for the required non-
Federal dollar-for-dollar cash match.
    8. Specify what organizations will supply and install key 
components of the demonstration system and, to the extent available, 
provide letters of commitment supporting the proposed activities, 
schedules, and non-Federal cost sharing. Letters of support from the 
railroad whose tracks and facilities are to be used for the 
demonstration should be included.
    9. Discuss the systematic operational recording, monitoring, 
analysis, and reporting procedures to be followed during the 
demonstration.
    10. Discuss plans for training and familiarization of operating and 
maintenance personnel for the demonstration system.
    Selection Criteria: The following will be considered to be positive 
selection factors in evaluating Statements of Interest for this 
demonstration:
    1. The extent to which the demonstration will assist in 
understanding the state-of-the-art in Compliant DMU technology in areas 
of desired advancement, including safety, reliability, efficiency, 
operational flexibility, maintainability, capital costs and/or 
operating costs of the corridor operation, as a whole, as well as of 
the Compliant DMU equipment itself.
    2. The extent to which the demonstration will involve an innovative 
Compliant DMU technology available for commercial development, as 
opposed to modification of equipment previously in service but 
currently not produced.
    3. The technological risk associated with successfully 
demonstrating Compliant DMU technology on the schedule proposed.
    4. The timeliness of the initiation of the demonstration and the 
availability of the Compliant DMU technology to be demonstrated.
    5. The compliance of the technology with other Federal 
requirements, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and 
relevant diesel emission standards of the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency.
    6. The contribution the demonstration might have to the development 
or expansion of the domestic passenger rail car manufacturing industry.
    7. The extent to which the demonstration will have ongoing 
transportation benefits after the end of the scheduled demonstration.
    8. The ability of the Compliant DMU technology to be readily and 
economically expanded to respond to increased speed, volume, and 
complexity of traffic.
    9. The extent of non-Federal contributions to the demonstration.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 30, 2003.
Mark E. Yachmetz,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Development.
[FR Doc. 03-16867 Filed 7-2-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P