[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 222 (Thursday, November 18, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 67620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-25564]


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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 No. FRA-2004-19467

    Applicant: Canadian National Railroad, Wisconsin Central Division, 
Mr. John P. Rath, Manager of Signal Installations, Signal and 
Communications, 1625 Depot Street, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, 54481.
    The Canadian National Railroad (CN) seeks approval for the proposed 
temporary discontinuance of the interlocked signal system, on the 
single main track movable bridge, at milepost 182.3 on the Wisconsin 
Central Division, Manistique Subdivision, at Sault Ste. Marie, 
Michigan, during the winter for approximately three months. The 
proposal is to lock down the bridge for rail traffic, and take the 
signal system out of service on or about February 1 of each year, for 
approximately three months once the canal is closed to marine traffic. 
In the spring, prior to restoring the signal system to service, the 
signal system will be completely tested in accordance with Federal 
Regulations.
    The reason given for the proposed changes is that CN currently does 
not have approval to temporarily take the signal system out of service 
during the winter months, when the canal is closed to marine traffic. 
Historically, it has been the practice to suspend the signal system on 
this bridge during the winter, ever since the installation of the 
bridge signal system in 1962. FRA took exception to this practice in 
2004, and this request is being made to attain compliance.
    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 November 5, 2004.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Acting Associate Administrator for Safety Standards.
[FR Doc. 04-25564 Filed 11-17-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P