[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 63 (Monday, April 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 17667]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-06948]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2021-0034]


Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or 
Modification of a Railroad Signal System

    Under part 235 of title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 
and 49 U.S.C. 20502(a), this document provides the public notice that 
on March 9, 2021, Appalachian and Ohio Railroad, Inc. (A&O) and CSX 
Transportation (CSXT) jointly petitioned the Federal Railroad 
Administration (FRA) seeking approval to discontinue or modify a signal 
system. FRA assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-2021-0034.

Applicants: Appalachian and Ohio Railroad, Inc., J. Thomas Garrett, 
President, 200 Clark Street, Paducah, KY 42003
CSX Transportation, Carl A. Walker, Chief Engineer Communications and 
Signals, 500 Water Street, Speed Code J-350, Jacksonville, FL 32202

    Specifically, A&O and CSXT request approval to discontinue the 
traffic control system (TCS) on CSXT owned, dispatched, and maintained 
trackage, being leased and operated by A&O. The track spans from, but 
does not include, control point (CP) Berkeley Run Junction, milepost 
(MP) BUC 0.0 Grafton, West Virginia, to CP Hampton Junction, MP BUC 
42.1, Buckhannon, West Virginia, including signaled sidings. A&O will 
install a new and modern broken rail detection system (BRDS) in 
Philippi, West Virginia, from MP 13.3 to MP 16.4, and Buckhannon, West 
Virginia, from MP 32.2 through MP 39.3, on the Cowen District Main 
Line, and in Pleasant Creek Bridge, MP 5.5 through MP 7.2.
    If this modification is made, the entire A&O will operate under 
Track Warrant Control Rules and will be dispatched by A&O. The BRDS 
will be designed to detect broken rails and misaligned switches. Switch 
circuit controllers and normally energized shunt-sensitive track 
circuits will constantly monitor switch positions and rail integrity. 
Each BRDS block will be defined by wayside indicators for displaying 
block information to train crews at the block's entrance. A&O and CSXT 
state the reasons for the proposed changes are that traffic volumes do 
not warrant TCS and that the current signal system is obsolete and 
replacement components are difficult to obtain or unavailable from 
vendors.
    A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications 
concerning the petition, is available for review online at 
www.regulations.gov.
    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 parties 
desire an opportunity for oral comment and a public hearing, 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:
     Website: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Operations Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, W12-140, Washington, DC 
20590.
     Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal Holidays.
    Communications received by May 20, 2021 will be considered by FRA 
before final action is taken. Comments received after that date will be 
considered if practicable.
    Anyone can 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.). 
Under 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 https://www.transportation.gov/privacy. See also http://www.regulations.gov/#!privacyNotice for the 
privacy notice of regulations.gov.

    Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-06948 Filed 4-2-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P