[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 13, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2041-2042]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-704]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Petition for Special Approval of Alternate Standard

    In accordance with Section 21, Part 238 of Title 49 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR), notice is hereby given that the Federal Railroad 
Administration (FRA) received a request for special approval of an 
alternate standard of compliance for certain requirements of railroad 
safety standards. The individual petition is described below, including 
the party seeking relief, the regulatory provisions involved, the 
nature of the relief being requested, and the petitioner's arguments in 
favor of relief.

National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) Special Approval 
Petition Docket Number FRA-2003-16666

    The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) seeks approval 
for use of an alternate standard to comply with section 311 of the 
Passenger Equipment Safety Standards (49 CFR part 238) for single car 
testing of passenger car brakes. Section 311 requires single car brake 
tests to be performed in accordance with either APTA Standard SS-M-005-
98, ``Code of Tests for Passenger Car Equipment Using Single Car 
Testing Device,'' published March 1999, or with an alternative 
procedure approved by FRA pursuant to 49 C.F.R. 238.21. Amtrak requests 
an alternate standard for single car brake tests on ``Talgo'' train 
sets utilized by Amtrak.
    Amtrak states that although Talgo brake equipment can receive the 
single car test utilizing the APTA standard, the proposed alternate 
standard would allow a semi-permanently coupled train set to remain 
coupled during testing. Amtrak indicates that the proposed alternate 
procedure on shorter length cars combined with reduced brake pipe 
volume would produce air flow rates not compatible with the APTA 
standard. During the brake pipe leakage test, the APTA standard allows 
for a 5-PSI drop in pressure for one minute in a single car, while the 
alternate Talgo standard allows only a 4.3-PSI drop in 30 minutes for 
the entire train set (normally 12 to 14 cars). In the service stability 
test, the APTA standard allows the brake cylinder pressure to increase 
by three PSI in one minute. In the alternate Talgo brake test 
procedure, an increase of 1.5 PSI occurs during the same time frame. 
The control valve leakage test in the APTA standard

[[Page 2042]]

allows a 2-PSI-per-minute leakage rate. In the alternate Talgo 
procedure, leakage is not allowed.
    Amtrak has supplied a copy of the alternate Talgo standard, a 
statement affirming that Amtrak has served a copy of the petition on 
designated representatives of its employees, and a list of the names 
and addresses of the persons served. These documents are available in 
the docket for this proceeding.
    You may participate in this proceeding by submitting written views, 
data, or comments. Include the basis upon which you are supplying the 
information or comment and submit a concise statement of your 
particular interest in the proceeding. FRA does not anticipate 
scheduling a public hearing in connection with this proceeding because 
the facts do not appear to warrant a hearing. However, if you desire an 
opportunity to present an oral comment, please notify FRA, in writing, 
before the end of the comment period and specify the basis for your 
request.
    Identify all of your communications with the appropriate docket 
number (FRA-2003-16666) and submit them to the Docket Clerk, DOT Docket 
Management Facility, Room PL-401 (Plaza Level), 400 7th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590. Communications received within 30 days of the 
date of this notice will be considered by FRA before final action is 
taken. Comments received after that date will be considered as far as 
practicable. You may examine all written communications concerning this 
proceeding during regular business hours (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) at the above 
facility. You also may view all documents in the public docket via the 
Internet by visiting the docket facility's Web site at http://dms.dot.gov and searching by the docket number for this proceeding.
    Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477-78). The Statement 
may also be found at http://dms.dot.gov.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 8, 2004.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. 04-704 Filed 1-12-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P