[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 145 (Monday, August 2, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41534-41535]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-16441]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2020-0031]


Petition for Approval Extension: Union Pacific Railroad

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

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

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SUMMARY: This document provides the public notice that on July 21, 
2021, Union Pacific Railroad (UP) petitioned the Federal Railroad 
Administration (FRA) to extend an existing temporary suspension of some 
visual track inspections to allow for the 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, at (202) 493-6460 or [email protected]; or 
Aaron Moore, Attorney, Office of the Chief Counsel, at (202) 493-7009 
or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 28, 2020, FRA conditionally 
approved the Test Program and UP's petition under 49 CFR 211.51 to 
suspend Sec.  213.233(c) as applied to operations under the Test 
Program. Accordingly, a copy of the Test Program, FRA's conditional 
approval of the Test Program, and a previously published Federal 
Register notice explaining FRA's rationale 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-2020-0031-0001 
(Test Program); https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2020-0031-0002 (FRA's approval decision); https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2020-0031-0004 (FRA's published notice of approval).
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    As approved, the Test Program includes two separate phases over 12 
months, as outlined in Exhibit C of the Program.\2\ UP began the Test 
Program on June 15, 2020. Accordingly, the Test Program expired on June 
15, 2021. UP is requesting to renew and extend the Test Program for one 
year, until June 15, 2022, to complete the Program.
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    \2\ See https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2020-0031-0001.
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    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

[[Page 41535]]

submitted by any of the following methods:
     Website: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Communications received by September 7, 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. 2021-16441 Filed 7-30-21; 8:45 am]
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