[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 247 (Thursday, December 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80452-80453]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32449]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2000-7275]


Petition for Waiver of Compliance

    In accordance with part 211 of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR), this document provides the public notice that by a document 
dated September 17, 2014, Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad 
Authority (PNRRA) and Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad (DL) have jointly 
petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for a waiver of 
compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad safety 
regulations. FRA assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-2000-7275.
    PNRRA provides an historic trolley excursion in conjunction with 
the Lackawanna County Electric City Trolley Station and Museum (Trolley 
Museum). DL has operated and dispatched this historic trolley since the 
start of service in April 2001. The purpose of this historic trolley 
excursion is to expand the historical interpretation provided by the 
Trolley Museum by offering a tourist excursion using vintage trolley 
cars, and is not in any way an urban transit operation. Beginning at 
the Steamtown Passenger Depot, this trolley car excursion operates via 
PNRRA's Brady Line within the National Park Service's Steamtown Yard, 
and thence along the historic Laurel Line past the Scranton Iron 
Furnaces and Roaring Brook, to a station stop at the Historic Trolley 
Maintenance Building, a distance of just under 5 miles. Because of the 
connection to the general railroad system over the shared track 
portion, current trolley operations will continue to use the successful 
FRA-approved temporal separation procedure that guarantees exclusive 
use of this shared trackage during its exclusive excursion/passenger 
period.
    The route of the historic trolley excursion has undergone several 
extensions since its original 1-mile run in 2001. One mile was added in 
2002 and 3 miles were added in May 2004. In June 2006, a 1,870-foot 
extension brought the route into its new terminus at the station 
platform on Track 1 outside the Historic Trolley Maintenance Building.
    PNRRA seeks an extension of its waiver of compliance from several 
parts of 49 CFR (first granted by FRA in 2001, extended in 2006 and 
2011) for continued operation of its historic trolley car excursion 
that shares trackage with the general railroad system. This request is 
consistent with the requirements set forth in the ``Statement of Agency 
Policy Concerning Jurisdiction Over the Safety of Railroad Passenger 
Operations and Waivers Related to Shared Use of the Tracks of the 
General Railroad System by Light Rail and Conventional Equipment,'' 65 
FR 42529 (July 10, 2000); see also the ``Joint Statement of Agency 
Policy Concerning Shared Use of the Tracks of the General Railroad 
System by Conventional Railroads and Light Rail Transit Systems.'' 65 
FR 42626 (July 10, 2000).
    Based on the foregoing, PNRRA is again seeking an extension of the 
terms and conditions of its current waiver of compliance from several 
regulatory sections. Specifically, PNRRA seeks relief from the 
following: 49 CFR part 221--Rear-End Marking Device--Passenger, 
Commuter and Freight Trains; 49 CFR part 223--Safety Glazing 
Standards--Locomotives, Passenger Cars and Cabooses; 49 CFR 229.129--
Locomotive horn; 49 CFR part 231--Railroad Safety Appliance Standards; 
49 CFR part 239--Passenger Train Emergency Preparedness; and 49 CFR 
part 240--Qualification and Certification of Locomotive Engineers.
    A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications 
concerning the petition, is available for review online at 
www.regulations.gov and in person at the U.S. Department of 
Transportation's (DOT) Docket Operations Facility, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE., W12-140, Washington, DC 20590. The Docket Operations 
Facility is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal Holidays.
    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-
2000-7275) 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,

[[Page 80453]]

Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal Holidays.
    Communications received by February 8, 2016 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 document, 
if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). 
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the 
public to better inform its processes. DOT posts these comments, 
without edit, including any personal information the commenter 
provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records 
notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at www.dot.gov/privacy. 
See also http://www.regulations.gov/#!privacyNotice for the privacy 
notice of regulations.gov.

    Issued in Washington, DC.
Robert C. Lauby,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-32449 Filed 12-23-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-06-P