[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 238 (Thursday, December 10, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79559-79561]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-27155]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2020-0027-N-35]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

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

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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

SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its 
implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information 
Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below. Before submitting this ICR 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is 
soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities 
identified below.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
February 8, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
ICR to Ms. Kim Toone, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Office 
of Information Technology, at [email protected]. Please refer to the 
assigned OMB control number in any correspondence submitted. FRA will 
summarize comments received in response to this notice in a subsequent 
notice and include them in its information collection submission to OMB 
for approval.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, and its 
implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to 
provide 60-days' notice to the public to allow comment on information 
collection activities before seeking OMB approval of the activities. 
See 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. Specifically, 
FRA invites interested parties to comment on the following ICR 
regarding: (1) Whether the information collection activities are 
necessary for FRA to properly execute its functions, including whether 
the activities 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 
for FRA to minimize the burden of information collection activities on 
the public, including the use of automated

[[Page 79560]]

collection techniques or other forms of information technology. See 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1).
    FRA believes that soliciting public comment may reduce the 
administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection of 
information that Federal regulations mandate. In summary, FRA reasons 
that comments received will advance three objectives: (1) Reduce 
reporting burdens; (2) organize information collection requirements in 
a ``user-friendly'' format to improve the use of such information; and 
(3) accurately assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce 
information requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.
    The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB 
clearance as the PRA requires:
    Title: Metrics and Minimum Standards for Intercity Passenger Rail 
Service.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0623.
    Abstract: On October 16, 2008, President George W. Bush signed the 
Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, Public Law 110-
432, 122 Stat. 4907 (PRIIA) into law. Section 207 of PRIIA requires FRA 
and Amtrak jointly to develop new or improved metrics and minimum 
standards for measuring the performance and service quality of 
intercity passenger train operations, including cost recovery, on-time 
performance and minutes of delay, ridership, on-board services, 
stations, facilities, equipment, and other services.
    Section 207 also calls for consultation with the Surface 
Transportation Board, rail carriers over whose rail lines Amtrak trains 
operate, States, Amtrak employees, and groups representing Amtrak 
passengers, as appropriate.
    Section 207 further provides that the metrics, at a minimum, must 
include: The percentage of avoidable and fully allocated operating 
costs covered by passenger revenues on each route; ridership per train 
mile operated; measures of on-time performance and delays incurred by 
intercity passenger trains on the rail lines of each rail carrier; and, 
for long-distance routes, measures of connectivity with other routes in 
all regions currently receiving Amtrak service and the transportation 
needs of communities and populations that are not well-served by other 
forms of intercity transportation.
    Section 207 also provides that the FRA Administrator must collect 
the necessary data and publish a quarterly report on the performance 
and service quality of intercity passenger train operations, including 
Amtrak's cost recovery, ridership, on-time performance and minutes of 
delay, causes of delay, on-board services, stations, facilities, 
equipment, and other services.
    In connection with the Congressional mandate, FRA's Metrics and 
Minimum Standards for Intercity Passenger Rail Service final rule sets 
forth a number of metrics that must be collected. 85 FR 72971. On 
November 23, 2020, FRA published a request for emergency processing of 
a collection of information because FRA could not reasonably comply 
with normal clearance procedures to timely collect ridership data 
metrics and certified schedule metrics as required by Sec.  273.5(b) 
and Sec.  273.5(c). 85 FR 74783. This ICR request covers all metrics 
set forth in the final rule, including those covered by the emergency 
clearance.
    Type of Request: Revision to a currently approved information 
collection.
    Affected Public: Amtrak.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Respondent Universe: 1 1 (Amtrak).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ As noted in the table, the respondent universe for the 
required reporting in 49 CFR 273.5(c)(2) is 24 railroads.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Frequency of Submission: Varied.
    Reporting Burden: 2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ This table reflects the estimates for the first year which 
include one-time start up burdens. The annual response, burden and 
total cost equivalent estimates are expected to decrease after the 
first year of this 3-year ICR period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Total annual    Average time    Total annual    Total annual burden hours    Total cost
            CFR section                Respondent  universe      responses     per responses   burden hours              notes            equivalent \3\
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
273.5(a)--Customer on-time           1 railroad.............               4               1               4  ..........................            $310
 performance.
273.5(b)--Ridership data...........  1 railroad.............              12               1              22  (One-time 10 hour start-up           1,704
                                                                                                               burden + average response
                                                                                                               time).
273.5(c)--Certified schedule.......  1 railroad.............               7               1              27  (One-time 20 hour start-up           2,092
                                                                                                               burden + average response
                                                                                                               time in the first year;
                                                                                                               after first year it is
                                                                                                               one annual response with
                                                                                                               an average time per
                                                                                                               response of 1 hour).
273.5(c)(2)--Monthly letter to U.S.  24 railroads...........              30              10             300  (Estimated to only be               50,328
 Congress and other officials.                                                                                 incurred in the first
                                                                                                               year).
273.5(d)--Train delays.............  1 railroad.............               4               1               4  ..........................             310
273.5(e)--Train delays per 10,000    1 railroad.............               4               1               4  ..........................             310
 train miles.
273.5(f)--Station performance......  1 railroad.............               4               1              24  (One-time 20 hour start-up           1,859
                                                                                                               burden + average response
                                                                                                               time).
273.5(f)--Host running time........  1 railroad.............               4               1              44  (One-time 40 hour start-up           3,409
                                                                                                               burden + average response
                                                                                                               time).
273.7(a)--Customer satisfaction....  1 railroad.............               4               1               4  ..........................             310
273.7(b)--Amtrak personnel.........  1 railroad.............               4               1               4  ..........................             310
273.7(c)--Information given........  1 railroad.............               4               1               4  ..........................             310
273.7(d)--On-board comfort.........  1 railroad.............               4               1               4  ..........................             310
273.7(e)--On-board cleanliness.....  1 railroad.............               4               1               4  ..........................             310
273.7(f)--On-board food service....  1 railroad.............               4               1               4  ..........................             310
273.9(a)--Cost recovery............  1 railroad.............               4               1               4  ..........................             310
273.9(b)--Avoidable operating costs  1 railroad.............               4               1               4  ..........................             310
 covered by passenger revenue.

[[Page 79561]]

 
273.9(c)--Fully allocated core       1 railroad.............               4               1               4  ..........................             310
 operating costs covered by
 passenger revenue.
273.9(d)--Average ridership........  1 railroad.............               4               1               4  ..........................             310
273.9(e)--Total ridership..........  1 railroad.............               4               1               4  ..........................             310
273.11(a)--Connectivity............  1 railroad.............               1               1               1  ..........................              77
273.11(b)--Missed connections......  1 railroad.............               1               1              11  (One-time 10 hour start-up             852
                                                                                                               burden + average response
                                                                                                               time).
273.11(c)--Community access........  1 railroad.............               1               1              11  (One-time 10 hour start-up             852
                                                                                                               burden + average response
                                                                                                               time).
273.11(d)--Service availability....  1 railroad.............               1               1              11  (One-time 10 hour start-up             852
                                                                                                               burden + average response
                                                                                                               time).
                                    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total..........................  .......................             117              15             507  ..........................       66,365.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 117.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the Surface 
Transportation Board's Full Year Wage A&B data series using the 
appropriate employee group hourly wage rate that includes a 75-
percent overhead charge.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 507 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $66,365.
    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 a respondent is not required to 
respond to, conduct, or sponsor a collection of information that does 
not display a currently valid OMB control number.

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

Brett A. Jortland,
Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2020-27155 Filed 12-9-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P