[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 220 (Wednesday, November 14, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56913-56914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-24715]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2017-0002-N-20]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY:  Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice 
announces that FRA is forwarding the Information Collection Request 
(ICR) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and comment. The ICR describes the information collections and 
their expected burden. On March 14, 2017, FRA published a notice 
providing a 60-day period for public comment and on September 13, 2017, 
published a notice providing a 30-day period for public comment on the 
ICR.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
December 14, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the ICR to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 
725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503, Attention: FRA Desk Officer. 
Comments may also be sent via email to OMB at the following address: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael Jones, Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Research, Development, and 
Technology, Human Factors Division, RPD-34, Federal Railroad 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W38-119, Washington, DC 
20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6106); or Ms. Kim Toone, Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Administration, Office of 
Information Technology, RAD-20, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W34-212, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: 
(202) 493-6132).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, and its 
implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to 
issue two notices seeking public comment on information collection 
activities before OMB may approve paperwork packages. See 44 U.S.C. 
3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. The required 60- and 30-Day 
Federal Register Notices were published in the Federal Register on 
March 14, 2017 (see 82 FR 20530) and September 13, 2017 (see 82 FR 
43078), respectively. FRA received comments from the Association of 
American Railroads (AAR) in a letter dated October 13, 2017, outlining 
some concerns with the research approach in the human error study. FRA 
replied by letter clarifying the research approach.
    Specifically, AAR commented that it was concerned that the proposed 
study on automated locomotive technology was not fully developed and 
that results of such a study might lead to unnecessary roadblocks to 
the development of the technology positive train control (PTC). 
Further, AAR stated ``FRA should also include in the study a control 
group demonstrating the number of errors that occur in locomotives 
absent autonomous technology.'' In response, FRA explained that under 
the planned research approach at the time, it was not necessary to 
include a manual operation condition as FRA did not intend to compare 
performance with vs. without automation. The purpose of the study was 
to understand the nature of possible design-induced errors for existing 
system automation in the locomotive cab, with an eye toward future 
improved systems. These errors are likely, absent of any human factors 
engineering in the system design and development process. For this 
examination, a control group was unnecessary. However, FRA now proposes 
to expand the study approach to address AAR's concern and include a 
manual condition control group. In this context, FRA's reference to 
automation means an operation assisted by autonomous technology that 
offers some level of automation less than full automation. This 
condition will provide a baseline of performance to address two 
hypotheses:

(H1) Automation provides specific performance benefits (e.g., an energy 
management software system reduces fuel usage; PTC prevents 
overspeeding and transgressions into workzones or past a red signal) 
compared with manual control, but does not reduce workload in the 
locomotive cab compared with manual control.
(H2) Automation usage results in more errors in high workload 
situations than in low workload situations (e.g., distractions lead to 
failure to notice mode transitions) and these errors have no direct 
counterpart in manual conditions.

    Workload is defined as task loading, or the number of tasks in a 
scenario. The high workload scenarios have more tasks than the low 
workload scenarios. Based on the initial FRA pilot study, preceding the 
current study, and on research and operational experiences in other 
industries, high workload is often associated with error, thus, FRA's 
concern and interest in conducting the current study.
    Before OMB decides whether to approve this proposed collection of 
information, an additional 30 days is being provided for public 
comment. Federal law requires OMB to approve or disapprove paperwork 
packages between 30 and 60 days after the 30-day notice is published. 
44 U.S.C. 3507(b)-(c); 5 CFR 1320.10(b); see also 60 FR 44978, 44983, 
Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes the 30-day notice informs the regulated 
community to file relevant

[[Page 56914]]

comments and affords the agency adequate time to digest public comments 
before it renders a decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. Therefore, 
respondents should submit their respective comments to OMB within 30 
days of publication to best ensure having their full effect.
    Comments are invited on the following ICR regarding: (1) Whether 
the information collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly 
execute its functions, including whether the information will have 
practical utility; (2) the accuracy of FRA's estimates of the burden of 
the information collection activities, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used to determine the estimates; (3) ways 
for FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
being collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of information 
collection activities on the public, including the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB 
clearance as the PRA requires:
    Title: Experimental Investigation of Automation-Induced Human Error 
in Locomotive Cab.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-XXXX.
    Abstract: The purpose of this collection is to identify and 
evaluate the potential for human error associated with the operation of 
systems and automation in the locomotive cab. This research addresses 
DOT's strategic goal of safety. Once the nature and risk of the human 
error in locomotive cab systems and automation is better understood, 
error mitigating steps can be taken to provide safer systems and reduce 
the risk of accidents or incidents involving these systems. FRA will 
use the research's results to identify training, operational 
procedures, or automation design standards that will improve the safety 
of automated systems in locomotive cabs.
    Type of Request: New information collection request.
    Affected Public: Railroad Engineers and Conductors.
    Form(s): FRA F 6180.3.
    Respondent Universe: 24.
    Frequency of Submission: Once.
    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 24.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 48 hours.
    Under 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b) and 1320.8(b)(3)(vi), 
FRA informs all interested parties that it may not conduct or sponsor, 
and a respondent is not required to respond to a collection of 
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

    Authority:  44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

Juan D. Reyes III,
Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2018-24715 Filed 11-13-18; 8:45 am]
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