[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 185 (Monday, September 25, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55823-55825]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-8124]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

Docket No. [FRA-2000-7257; Notice No. 37]


Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC); Working Group Activity 
Update

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

ACTION: Announcement of Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) 
Working Group Activities.

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SUMMARY: The FRA is updating its announcement of RSAC's Working Group 
activities to reflect its current status.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Butera or Lydia Leeds, RSAC 
Coordinator, FRA, 1120 Vermont Avenue, NW., Mailstop 25, Washington, DC 
20590, (202) 493-6212/6213 or Grady Cothen, Deputy Associate 
Administrator for Safety, FRA, 1120 Vermont Avenue, NW., Mailstop 25, 
Washington, DC 20590, (202) 493-6302.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice serves to update FRA's last 
announcement of working group activities and status reports of May 12,

[[Page 55824]]

2006, (71 FR 27781). The 29th full Committee meeting was held May 18, 
2006.
    Since its first meeting in April of 1996, the RSAC has accepted 
twenty-two tasks. Status for each of the tasks is provided below:

Open Tasks

    Task 96-4--Reviewing the appropriateness of the agency's current 
policy regarding the applicability of existing and proposed regulations 
to tourist, excursion, scenic, and historic railroads. This Task was 
accepted on April 2, 1996, and a Working Group was established. The 
Working Group monitored the steam locomotive regulation task. Planned 
future activities involve the review of other regulations for possible 
adaptation to the safety needs of tourist and historic railroads. 
Contact: Grady Cothen, (202) 493-6302.
    Task 97-2--Evaluating the extent to which environmental, sanitary, 
and other working conditions in locomotive cabs affect the crew's 
health and the safe operation of locomotives, proposing standards where 
appropriate. This Task was accepted June 24, 1997.
(Sanitation) (Completed)
    (Noise exposure) On June 27, 2003, the full RSAC gave consensus by 
ballot on the NPRM. The NPRM was published in the Federal Register on 
June 23, 2004. The comment period ended September 21, 2004. Task Force 
and Working Group meetings were held March 1, and March 2 and 3, 2005, 
respectively, to review the public comments and recommend a final rule. 
The Working Group reached agreement on all issues, and its report was 
presented to the full Committee on May 18, 2005. The final rule is in 
review and clearance.
(Cab Temperature) (Completed)

    Note: Additional related topics such as vibration may be 
considered by the Working Group in the future. Contact: Jeffrey 
Horn, (202) 493-6283.

    Task 03-01--Passenger Safety. This Task was accepted on May 20, 
2003, and a Working Group was established. Prior to embarking on 
substantive discussions of a specific task, the Working Group set forth 
in writing a specific description of the task. The Working Group will 
report any planned activity to the full Committee at each scheduled 
full RSAC meeting, including milestones for completion of projects and 
progress toward completion. At the first meeting held September 9-10, 
2003, a consolidated list of issues was completed. At the second 
meeting held November 6-7, 2003, four task groups were established: 
emergency preparedness; mechanical-general issues; mechanical-safety 
appliances; and track/vehicle interaction. The task groups met and 
reported on activities for Working Group consideration at the third 
meeting held May 11-12, 2004, and a fourth meeting was held October 26-
27, 2004. The Working Group met on March 21-22, 2006, and tentatively 
agreed to establish a task force on General Passenger Safety. The 
Working Group met September 12-13, 2006, and activated the General 
Passenger Safety Task Force.
    (Emergency Preparedness) At the Working Group meeting of March 9-
10, 2005, the Working Group received and approved the consensus report 
of the Emergency Preparedness Task Force related to emergency egress 
and rescue access. These recommendations were presented to and approved 
by the full Committee on May 18, 2005. The Working Group met on 
September 7-8, 2005, and additional, supplementary recommendations were 
presented to and accepted by the full RSAC on October 11, 2005. An NPRM 
on Emergency Systems was published on August 24, 2006, and is open for 
comments until October 23, 2006.
    (General Mechanical) Initial recommendations on mechanical issues 
(revisions to 49 CFR Part 238) were approved by the full Committee on 
January 26, 2005. At the Working Group meeting of September 7-8, 2005, 
the task force presented additional perfecting amendments and the full 
RSAC approved them on October 11, 2005. An NPRM was published in the 
Federal Register on December 8, 2005, (70 FR 73070). Public comments 
were due by February 17, 2006. FRA is currently preparing a final rule.
    (Passenger Equipment Crashworthiness) The Crashworthiness Task 
Force provided consensus recommendations on static end strength that 
were adopted by the Working Group on September 7-8, 2005. The full 
Committee accepted the recommendations on October 11, 2005. The FRA is 
preparing an NPRM.
    (Vehicle/Track Interaction) The task force is developing proposed 
revisions to Parts 213 and 238 principally regarding high-speed 
passenger service. Contact: Charles Bielitz, (202) 493-6314.
    Task 05-01--Review of Roadway Worker Protection issues. This Task 
was accepted on January 26, 2005, to review 49 CFR 214, Subpart C, 
Roadway Worker Protection, and related sections of Subpart A; recommend 
consideration of specific actions to advance the on-track safety of 
railroad employees and contractors engaged in maintenance-of-way 
activities throughout the general system of railroad transportation, 
including clarification of existing requirements. A Working Group has 
been established and will report to the RSAC any specific actions 
identified as appropriate. The first meeting of the Working Group was 
held on April 12-14, 2005. The Working Group will report planned 
activity to the full Committee at each scheduled Committee meeting, 
including milestones for completion of projects and progress toward 
completion. The Working Group met on June 22-24, 2005, August 8-11, 
2005, September 20-22, 2005, November 8-9, 2005, January 10-11, 2006, 
February 1-2, 2006, March 15-16, 2006, April 11-12, 2006, and August 
22-23, 2006. To date, the group has drafted and accepted regulatory 
language for various revisions, clarifications, and additions to 16 
sections of the rule. The next Working Group meeting is being planned 
for November, 2006. A meeting is scheduled for January 17-18, 2007, 
with the final meeting scheduled for February 27-28, 2007. Contact: 
Christopher Schulte, (202) 493-6251.
    Task 05-02--Reduce Human Factor-Caused Train Accident/Incidents. 
This Task was accepted on May 18, 2005, to reduce the number of human 
factor-caused train accidents/incidents and related employee injuries. 
A Working Group was established. The Working Group will report any 
planned activity to the full Committee at each scheduled full RSAC 
meeting, including milestones for completion of projects and progress 
toward completion. The Working Group met on July 12-13, 2005, August 
31--September 1, 2005, September 28-29, 2005, October 25-26, 2005, 
November 16-17, 2005, and December 6-7, 2005. The final Working Group 
meeting devoted to developing a proposed rule was held February 8-9, 
2006. The Working Group was not able to deliver a consensus regulatory 
proposal, but did recommend that it be used to review comments on FRA's 
forthcoming NPRM, which is under development with the Working Group's 
discussion draft as its basis. Contact: Douglas Taylor, (202) 493-6255.
    Task 06-01--Locomotive Safety Standards. This task was accepted on 
February 22, 2006, to review Title 49 CFR Part 229, Railroad Locomotive 
Safety Standards, and revise as appropriate. A Working Group has been 
established. The Working Group will report any planned activity to the 
full Committee at each scheduled full RSAC meeting, including 
milestones for completion of projects and progress

[[Page 55825]]

toward completion. The first Working Group meeting was held May 8-10, 
2006. The Working Group met on August 8-9, 2006, and the next meeting 
is scheduled for September 25-26, 2006. Contact: George Scerbo, (202) 
493-6249.
    Task 06-02--Track Safety Standards and Continuous Welded Rail. 
Section 9005 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (Pub. L. No. 109-59, 
``SAFETEA-LU''), the 2005 surface transportation authorization act, 
requires FRA to issue requirements for inspection of joint bars in 
continuous welded rail (CWR) to detect cracks that could affect the 
integrity of the track structure. 49 U.S.C. 20142(e). FRA published an 
Interim Final Rule establishing new requirements for inspections on 
November 2, 2005, (70 FR 66288). On October 11, 2005, FRA offered the 
RSAC a task to review comments on this IFR, but the conditions could 
not be established under which the Committee could have undertaken this 
with a view toward consensus. Comments on the IFR were received through 
December 19, 2005. FRA is reviewing the comments. On February 22, 2006, 
the RSAC accepted this task to review and revise the CWR related to 
provisions of the Track Safety Standards, with particular emphasis on 
reduction of derailments and consequent injuries and damage caused by 
defective conditions, including joint failures, in track using CWR. A 
Working Group has been established. The Working Group will report any 
planned activity to the full Committee at each scheduled full RSAC 
meeting, including milestones for completion of projects and progress 
toward completion. The first Working Group meeting was held April 3-4, 
2006, at which time the Working Group reviewed comments on the IFR. The 
second Working Group meeting was held April 26-28, 2006. The Working 
Group also met May 24-25, 2006, and July 19-20, 2006. The Working Group 
reported consensus recommendations for the final rule that were 
accepted by the full Committee by mail ballot on August 11, 2006. FRA 
is currently preparing a final rule. Contact: Ken Rusk, (202) 493-6236.

Completed Tasks

    Task 96-1--(Completed) Revising the Freight Power Brake 
Regulations.
    Task 96-2--(Completed) Reviewing and recommending revisions to the 
Track Safety Standards (49 CFR Part 213).
    Task 96-3--(Completed) Reviewing and recommending revisions to the 
Radio Standards and Procedures (49 CFR Part 220).
    Task 96-5--(Completed) Reviewing and recommending revisions to 
Steam Locomotive Inspection Standards (49 CFR Part 230).
    Task 96-6--(Completed) Reviewing and recommending revisions to 
miscellaneous aspects of the regulations addressing Locomotive Engineer 
Certification (49 CFR Part 240).
    Task 96-7--(Completed) Developing Roadway Maintenance Machines (On-
Track Equipment) Safety Standards.
    Task 96-8--(Completed) This Planning Task evaluated the need for 
action responsive to recommendations contained in a report to Congress 
entitled, Locomotive Crashworthiness & Working Conditions.
    Task 97-1--(Completed) Developing crashworthiness specifications 
(49 CFR Part 229) to promote the integrity of the locomotive cab in 
accidents resulting from collisions.
    Task 97-3--(Completed) Developing event recorder data survivability 
standards.
    Task 97-4 and Task 97-5--(Completed) Defining Positive Train 
Control (PTC) functionalities, describing available technologies, 
evaluating costs and benefits of potential systems, and considering 
implementation opportunities and challenges, including demonstration 
and deployment.
    Task 97-6--(Completed) Revising various regulations to address the 
safety implications of processor-based signal and train control 
technologies, including communications-based operating systems.
    Task 97-7--(Completed) Determining damages qualifying an event as a 
reportable train accident.
    Task 00-1--(Completed--task withdrawn) Determining the need to 
amend regulations protecting persons who work on, under, or between 
rolling equipment and persons applying, removing or inspecting rear end 
marking devices (Blue Signal Protection).
    Task 01-1--(Completed) Developing conformity of FRA's regulations 
for accident/incident reporting (49 CFR Part 225) to revised 
regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration 
(OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, and to make appropriate revisions to 
the FRA Guide for Preparing Accident/Incident Reports (Reporting 
Guide).
    Please refer to the notice published in the Federal Register on 
March 11, 1996, (61 FR 9740) for more information about the RSAC.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 18, 2006.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. 06-8124 Filed 9-22-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P