[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 128 (Thursday, July 5, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36753-36754]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-13027]


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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-2007-28293]

Applicants: Rock and Rail, LLC, Mr. Franklin Lloyd, President, P.O. Box 
1026, Ca[ntilde]on City, Colorado 81215.
Ca[ntilde]on City and Royal Gorge Railroad, LCC, Mr. Mark Greksa, 
Owner/Manager, P.O. Box 859, Georgetown, Colorado 80444.
Union Pacific Railroad, Mr. Bill Breeden, General Director, Maintenance 
of Way, 1400 Douglas Street, Stop 0910, Omaha, Nebraska 68179.

    Rock and Rail, LLC, and Ca[ntilde]on City and Royal Gorge Railroad, 
LLC, collectively (RGX) and the Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) 
jointly seek approval of the proposed conversion of the existing 
traffic control system to an automatic block signal system on the 
single main track and sidings between Ca[ntilde]on City, Colorado, 
Milepost 159.2, and East Parkdale, Colorado, Milepost 169.9, on the 
former UP Denver Area, Tennessee Pass Subdivision, a distance of 
approximately 10.7 miles. The proposed changes include the removal of 
the power-operated switch machines from the control points at East and 
West Ca[ntilde]on City and East and West Parkdale, and their 
replacement with manual switch operating devices. In addition, the 
proposed changes include the removal of the electric switch locks from 
switches at Mileposts 159.2, 159.5, 159.9, and 160.1.
    The reason given for the proposed changes is due to the Applicants' 
operational plan, which features a significant reduction in the size 
and number of trains, and reduction in hours of operation compared to 
the time when UP operated the trackage as a mainline through route. The 
UP closed the trackage as a through route in August 1997, and in 1998 
sold the portion of trackage from Ca[ntilde]on City to Parkdale to RGX. 
The line was severed and RGX acquired a stub-ended branch line, 
accessible only from the Ca[ntilde]on City end of the line, with no 
potential for through traffic.
    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.

[[Page 36754]]

    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.
    All communications concerning this proceeding should be identified 
by Docket Number FRA-2007-28293 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, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building Ground 
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590; or
     Hand Delivery: Room W12-140 of the U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 
SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.
    Communications received within 45 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. 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.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 28, 2007.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. E7-13027 Filed 7-3-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P