[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 102 (Friday, May 25, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31429-31430]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-12784]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2012-0032]


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

[[Page 31430]]

received a request for a waiver of compliance from certain requirements 
of its safety standards. The South Carolina Railroad Museum (SCRM) has 
petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for a waiver of 
compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad safety 
regulations contained at 49 CFR Part 213. FRA assigned the petition 
Docket Number FRA-2012-0032.
    In its waiver request, SCRM petitioned FRA for a waiver from 49 CFR 
Section 213.233(c), which requires twice-weekly track inspections with 
at least 1 calendar day interval between inspections if the track 
carries passenger trains or more than 10 million gross tons of traffic 
during the preceding calendar year.
    The petitioner is a volunteer, nonprofit 501(c)(3) Class III 
railroad museum that is located in Fairfield County near Winnsboro, SC, 
and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. SCRM 
operates passenger trains on approximately 5 miles of the 11\1/2\-mile 
former Rockton and Rion Railroad. The passenger trains operate from the 
Norfolk Southern junction, generally westward from Rockton, SC, through 
the community of Rion, SC, to the Anderson Quarry. SCRM states that it 
schedules two passenger excursions each Saturday from Memorial Day 
through Labor Day; for a total of 30 roundtrips. Additionally, SCRM 
states that it charters passenger trains on an as-needed basis; 
usually, no more than three passenger trains are operated overall per 
week. The petitioner seeks relief from the twice weekly track 
inspections and requests to conduct one track inspection each week. 
SCRM states, ``* * * one track inspection each week would allow the 
museum to insure the safety of the track for the average of 3 trips or 
less that are operated during our summer and fall operating seasons.''
    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 and may be submitted by any 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.
    Communications received by July 9, 2012 will be considered by FRA 
before final action is taken. Comments received after that date will be 
considered as far as practicable.
    Anyone is able to search the electronic form of any written 
communications and 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 online at http://www.dot.gov/privacy.html.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 21, 2012.
Ron Hynes,
Acting Deputy Associate Administrator for Regulatory and Legislative 
Operations.
[FR Doc. 2012-12784 Filed 5-24-12; 8:45 am]
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