[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 72 (Thursday, April 14, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22282-22283]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-08002]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2020-0031]


Petition for Approval: Union Pacific Railroad

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

[[Page 22283]]


ACTION: Notice of petition for approval to move to phase 2 of track 
inspection test program.

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SUMMARY: This document provides the public notice that on March 24, 
2022, Union Pacific Railroad (UP) petitioned the Federal Railroad 
Administration (FRA) to transition from phase 1 to phase 2 of a 
previously approved test program and associated temporary suspension of 
some visual track inspections. The Test Program is 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 April 28, 2020, FRA conditionally 
approved the Test Program and UP's petition under 49 CFR 211.51 to 
suspend Sec. Sec.  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 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-2020-0031-0005 (FRA's published notice of approval).
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    As approved, the Test Program included two separate phases over 12 
months, as outlined in Exhibit C of the Program.\2\ Accordingly, UP 
began the Test Program on June 15, 2020. Subsequently, UP requested, 
and FRA approved, an extension of the Test Program until November 23, 
2022.
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    \2\ https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2020-0031-0001.
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    UP is requesting to transition from phase 1 to 2 on one of the Test 
Program routes, the Sunset route. In support of its request, UP states 
that it has met the Test Program conditions required to move to phase 2 
and has achieved an average safety metric of 0.67 unprotected geometry 
defects per 100 miles tested and 3.47 track inspector identified 
geometry defects per month in phase 1 of the Test Program. UP is not 
requesting to move to phase 2 on the SPCSL route.
    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 May 16, 2022 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. 2022-08002 Filed 4-13-22; 8:45 am]
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