[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 27, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40230-40231]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15935]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2020-0056]


Petition for Approval Extension: Canadian Pacific Railway Company

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

ACTION: Notice of petition for extension of approval of track 
inspection test program.

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SUMMARY: This document provides the public notice that on July 7, 2021, 
Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) petitioned the Federal Railroad 
Administration (FRA) to extend an existing temporary suspension of some 
visual track inspections to allow for continuation of a previously-
approved Test Program designed to test track inspection technologies 
(i.e., an autonomous track geometry measurement system) and new 
operational approaches to track inspections (i.e., combinations of 
autonomous inspection and traditional visual inspections).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yu-Jiang Zhang, Staff Director, Track 
and Structures Division, Office of Railroad Safety, FRA, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202) 493-6460 or 
email [email protected]; Aaron Moore, Attorney, Office of Chief 
Counsel, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, 
telephone (202) 493-7009 or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 22, 2020, FRA conditionally approved 
the Test Program and CP's petition under 49 CFR 211.51 to suspend 
Sec. Sec.  213.233(b)(3) and 213.233(c) as applied to operations under 
the Test Program. A copy of the Test Program, FRA's conditional 
approval of the Test Program, and a previously published Federal 
Register notice explaining FRA's rational for approving the Test 
Program and related suspension are available for review in the 
docket.\1\
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    \1\ https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2020-0056-0001 
(Test Program); https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2020-0056-0002 (FRA's approval decision); https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2020-0056-0004 (FRA's published notice of approval).
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    As approved, the Test Program includes three separate phases over 
the course of 12 months as outlined in Exhibit C of the Program.\2\ CP 
began the Test Program on August 7, 2020. Accordingly, the Test Program 
is currently set to expire on August 7, 2021.
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    \2\ See https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2020-0056-0001.
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    CP is requesting to extend the Test Program until April 6, 2022 to 
complete the Program. CP cites the impact of COVID-19 as the primary 
reason for requesting the extension, noting that the railroad's efforts 
to safeguard the health of its employees and variety of restrictions 
associated with COVID-19 have ``impacted logistics, training, and 
change management activities associated with the Test Program.'' In 
support of its request, CP states that it will continue to comply with 
all other conditions and requirements of FRA's July 22, 2020, approval 
letter. CP further notes that for phase 3 of the Test

[[Page 40231]]

Program, it intends to take a more conservative approach than that 
provided for in FRA's approval letter by continuing manual visual 
inspections at the frequency specified in phase 2 of the Test Program.
    A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications 
concerning the petition, if any, are available for review online at 
www.regulations.gov.
    Interested parties are invited to participate in these proceedings 
by submitting written views, data, or comments.
    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.
    Communications received by August 26, 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 https://www.regulations.gov/privacy-notice for the privacy notice of regulations.gov.

    Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-15935 Filed 7-26-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P