[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 109 (Thursday, June 5, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32071-32072]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-12544]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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) has received a request for temporary waiver of compliance with 
certain requirements of its safety standards. The individual petition 
is described below, including the party seeking relief, the regulatory 
provisions involved, and the nature of the relief being requested.

Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation

[Docket Number FRA-2008-0057]

    The Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation 
(Metra) has submitted a temporary waiver petition to support field 
testing of its processor-based train control system, identified as 
Electronic Train Management System (ETMS), pursuant to 49 CFR Sections 
211.7 and 211.51.
    An informational filing, as required under 49 CFR 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-2008-0057).
    ETMS is a locomotive-centric, non-vital system, designed to be 
overlaid on

[[Page 32072]]

existing methods of operation and to provide an improved level of 
railroad safety through enforcement of a train's authority limits and 
both permanent and temporary speed restrictions. Metra desires to 
commence field testing on or about July 1, 2008, or as soon as 
practicable thereafter, contingent upon FRA's acceptance and approval 
of the associated informational filing and this waiver petition. Metra 
intends to test and develop ETMS on its Rock Island District between 
Chicago, IL, and Joliet, IL.
    Metra is seeking regulatory relief for development testing and 
demonstration purposes only. Specifically, Metra is requesting 
regulatory relief from the following FRA requirements:
     49 CFR 216.13 (Special Notice for Repairs--Locomotive);
     49 CFR 217.9 (Program of Operational Tests and 
Inspections--Recordkeeping);
     49 CFR 217.11 (Program of Instruction on Operating Rules--
Recordkeeping, Electronic Recordkeeping);
     49 CFR Part 218, Subpart D (Prohibition against Tampering 
with Safety Devices);
     49 CFR 229.7 (Prohibited Acts);
     49 CFR 229.135 (Event Recorders);
     49 CFR 233.9 (Reports);
     49 CFR 235.5 (Changes Requiring Filing of Application);
     49 CFR 240.127 (Criteria for Examining Skill Performance); 
and
     49 CFR 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. All communications 
concerning these proceedings should identify the appropriate docket 
number (Docket Number FRA-2008-0057) and may be submitted by 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., 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.
    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.
    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 period 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 
DOT Docket Management Facility, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Room W12-
140, in Washington, DC. All documents in the public docket are also 
available for inspection and copying on the internet 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 the 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 May 30, 2008.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
 [FR Doc. E8-12544 Filed 6-4-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P