[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 149 (Friday, August 3, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 43321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-15148]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Petition for Waiver of Compliance

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

Maryland Transit Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2007-28611]

    The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) seeks a permanent waiver 
of compliance from certain provisions of the Passenger Equipment Safety 
Standards of 49 CFR part 238, regarding the required periodic tests of 
locomotive brake equipment. This waiver is being requested for MTA's 
Maryland Area Rail Commuter (MARC) trains. Specifically, MARC requests 
that the electronic brake equipment used on their six HHP-8 electric 
locomotives be subject to the same provisions that are outlined in a 
waiver (FRA-2000-7367) that was granted to the National Railroad 
Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) for their KE-3.9 brake equipment 
(Computer Controlled Brake-brake equipment variant). This waiver 
extended the time requirements for the cleaning, repairing, and testing 
of brake components listed in section 238.309(c)(2) to a period not to 
exceed 5 years or 1,840 days.
    MARC claims that the electronic brake equipment used on their HHP-8 
locomotives is similar to the brake equipment installed on the Amtrak 
HHP-8 locomotives that have benefitted from a waiver similar to the one 
mentioned above for the past 5 years.
    The six MARC locomotives for which the current waiver is being 
requested are operated and maintained by Amtrak. All tests and 
inspections of these locomotives are performed by Amtrak employees in 
Amtrak facilities. The MARC HHP-8 locomotives are equipped with an air 
quality (dryers and filters) system that meets current industry 
standards.
    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 these proceedings should identify the 
appropriate docket number (e.g., Waiver Petition Docket Number FRA-
2007-28611) and must be submitted in triplicate to the Docket Clerk, 
DOT Central Docket Management Facility, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    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 DOT 
Central Docket Management Facility, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001. 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.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on July 30, 2007.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. E7-15148 Filed 8-2-07; 8:45 am]
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