[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 10, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 1262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-186]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Petition for Waiver of Compliance

    In accordance with Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 
211, notice is hereby given that the Federal Railroad Administration 
(FRA) received a request for a waiver of compliance from certain 
Federal railroad safety requirements. 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.

Twin Cities and Western Railroad

[Docket Number FRA-2006-26093]

    Twin Cities and Western Railroad (TC&W) seeks a permanent waiver of 
compliance from certain provisions of the Railroad Safety Appliance 
Standards in 49 CFR part 231, concerning RailRunner[supreg] train 
operations over their system. Specifically, TC&W requests relief from 
those sections of 49 CFR part 231 that stipulate the number, location, 
and dimensions for handholds, ladders, sill steps, uncoupling levers, 
and handbrakes. TC&W also seeks relief from 49 CFR 231.31, which sets 
the standard height for drawbars.
    TC&W states that this waiver is necessary to permit them to begin 
operation of RailRunner[supreg] equipment between Appleton, Minnesota, 
and Minneapolis, Minnesota. TC&W requests that this petition, if 
approved, be modeled on conditions contained in waiver FRA-2003-16203, 
which was granted to the Norfolk Southern Railway and 
RailRunner[supreg] on March 25, 2005.
    Interested parties are invited to participate in these proceedings 
by submitting written views, data, or comments. FRA does not anticipate 
scheduling a public hearing in connection with these proceedings since 
the facts do not appear to warrant a hearing. If any interested party 
desires an opportunity for oral comment, they should notify FRA in 
writing before the end of the comment period and specify the basis for 
their request.
    All communications concerning this petition should identify the 
appropriate docket number (FRA-2006-26093) and may be submitted by one 
of the following methods:
     Web site: http://dms.dot.gov. Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments on the DOT electronic site;
     Fax: 202-493-2251;
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001; or
     Hand Delivery: Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the 
Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Communication received within 45 days of the date of this notice 
will be considered by FRA prior to final action being taken. Comments 
received after that date will be considered to the extent 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.
    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 on behalf of an 
association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review the 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 5, 2007.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. E7-186 Filed 1-9-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P