[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 170 (Thursday, September 2, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 53768]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-20065]


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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 the 
Requirements of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 236

    Pursuant to Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 235 and 
49 U.S.C. 20502(a), the following railroad has 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 Number FRA-2004-18894]

    Applicant: Union Pacific Railroad Company, Mr. Phil Abaray, Chief 
Engineer--Signals, 1416 Dodge Street, Room 1000, Omaha, Nebraska 68179-
1000.
    The Union Pacific Railroad Company seeks approval of the proposed 
discontinuance and removal of the automatic block signal system, on the 
single main track, between Wellton, Arizona, milepost 770.8 and 
Arlington, Arizona, milepost 861.3, on the Gila and Phoenix 
Subdivisions, in the El Paso area, a distance of approximately 91 
miles. The proposed changes include removal of signals and switch point 
and fouling protection in the area; conversion of westward signals 40RA 
and 38RB at Wellton, and eastward signal 8617 at Arlington, to red-
green aspects; and conversion of eastward approach signal 7719 at 
Wellton, and westward approach signal 8608 at Arlington, to red-yellow 
aspects. This is a request to reopen docket number BS-AP-No. 3440, 
which was denied on July 7, 1998.
    The reason given for the proposed changes is that the semaphore 
signals on the line are obsolete and repair parts are difficult to 
obtain. There are only two trains a day in each direction, which does 
not justify upgrading the signal system to modern equipment.
    Any interested party desiring to protest the granting of an 
application shall set forth specifically the grounds upon which the 
protest is made, and include 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 PL-401 (Plaza Level), 400 7th 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 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 the above facility. 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 wishes to inform all potential commenters that 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) or you may visit 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 August 27, 2004.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Acting Associate Administrator for Safety.
[FR Doc. 04-20065 Filed 9-1-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P