[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 8 (Friday, January 11, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 2076]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-312]


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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 temporary 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.

Ohio Central Railroad System

[Docket Number FRA-2006-26177]

    The Ohio Central Railroad System (OCRS) has submitted a temporary 
waiver petition to support field testing of its processor-based train 
control system, identified as the OCRS Positive Train Control (OCRS 
PTC), pursuant to sections 211.7 and 211.51.
    An informational filing, as required under Part 236, Subpart H, has 
also been prepared and submitted in conjunction with this waiver 
petition, and can be found in the same docket as this waiver petition 
(FRA-2006-26177).
    The OCRS PTC system is designed to prevent authority limit and 
overspeed violations in nonsignaled Track Warrant Control territory, 
and to prevent equipped trains from entering, without authorization, 
the limits of on-track authority granted to employees.
    OCRS desires to commence field testing of the OCRS PTC system in 
the 4th quarter of 2007, or as soon as practicable thereafter, 
contingent upon FRA's acceptance and approval of the informational 
filing and waiver petition. OCRS intends to test and develop the OCRS 
PTC system on its C&N Subdivision between Columbus and Newark, OH. 
During this initial test phase, however, OCRS does not intend to 
activate the OCRS PTC system's locomotive enforcement functionality.
    OCRS is seeking regulatory relief for development testing and 
demonstration purposes only. Specifically, OCRS is requesting 
regulatory relief from the following FRA requirements:
     Section 216.13 (Special Notice for Repairs--Locomotive),
     Section 217.9 (Program of Operational Tests and 
Inspections--Recordkeeping),
     Section 217.11 (Program of Instruction on Operating 
Rules--Recordkeeping, Electronic Recordkeeping),
     Part 218, Subpart D (Prohibition Against Tampering with 
Safety Devices),
     Section 220.7 (Railroad Communications--Penalty),
     Section 220.29 (Statement of Letters and Numbers in Radio 
Communications),
     Section 220.37 (Testing Radio and Wireless Communication 
Equipment),
     Section 220.61 (Radio Transmission of Mandatory 
Directives),
     Section 229.7 (Prohibited Acts),
     Section 235.5 (Changes Requiring Filing of Application),
     Section 240.127 (Criteria for Examining Skill 
Performance), and
     Section 240.129 (Criteria for Monitoring Operational 
Performance of Certified Engineers).
    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-2006-
26177) and may be submitted using one of the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Operations Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Room W12-140, Washington, 
DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.
    Communications received within 30 days of the date of this notice 
will be considered by FRA before final action being taken. Comments 
received after this 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://www.regulations.gov.
    Anyone is able to search the electronic form of any written 
communications and comments received into any of our dockets by 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).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 4, 2008.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
 [FR Doc. E8-312 Filed 1-10-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P