[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 68 (Monday, April 10, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 21229]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07400]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Nos. FRA-2010-0044, and -2011-0104, and -2018-0012]


Railroads' Joint Request To Amend Their Positive Train Control 
Safety Plans and Positive Train Control Systems

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

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This document provides the public with notice that, on March 
15, 2023, three host railroads submitted a joint request for amendment 
(RFA) to their FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plans 
(PTCSP). As this joint RFA involves requests for FRA's approval of 
updated onboard software that will materially modify their FRA-
certified positive train control (PTC) systems, FRA is publishing this 
notice and inviting public comment on railroads' joint RFA to their 
PTCSPs.

DATES: FRA will consider comments received by May 1, 2023. FRA may 
consider comments received after that date to the extent practicable 
and without delaying implementation of valuable or necessary 
modifications to PTC systems.

ADDRESSES: Comments: Comments may be submitted by going to https://www.regulations.gov and following the online instructions for 
submitting comments.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and the 
applicable docket number. The relevant PTC docket numbers for the host 
railroads that filed a joint RFA to their PTCSPs are cited above and in 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. For convenience, 
all active PTC dockets are hyperlinked on FRA's website at https://railroads.dot.gov/train-control/ptc/ptc-annual-and-quarterly-reports. 
All comments received will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov; this includes any personal information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gabe Neal, Staff Director, Signal, 
Train Control, and Crossings Division, telephone: 816-516-7168, email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In general, Title 49 United States Code 
(U.S.C.) Section 20157(h) requires FRA to certify that a host 
railroad's PTC system complies with Title 49 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) part 236, subpart I, before the technology may be 
operated in revenue service. Before making certain changes to an FRA-
certified PTC system or the associated FRA-approved PTCSP, a host 
railroad must submit, and obtain FRA's approval of, an RFA to its PTCSP 
under 49 CFR 236.1021.
    Under 49 CFR 236.1021(e), FRA's regulations provide that FRA will 
publish a notice in the Federal Register and invite public comment in 
accordance with 49 CFR part 211, if an RFA includes a request for 
approval of a material modification of a signal and train control 
system. Accordingly, this notice informs the public that three host 
railroads' recent, joint RFA to their PTCSPs is available in their 
respective public PTC dockets, and this notice provides an opportunity 
for public comment.
    On March 15, 2023, the following three host railroads jointly 
submitted an RFA to their respective PTCSPs for their Interoperable 
Electronic Train Management Systems (I-ETMS): Central Florida Rail 
Corridor, TEXRail, and Trinity Railway Express. Their joint RFA is 
available in Docket Numbers FRA-2010-0044, FRA-2011-0104, and FRA-2018-
0012. The purpose of their joint RFA is to obtain FRA's approval of the 
following types of proposed modifications:
     Modifications to the PTC Development Plan for I-ETMS, 
specifically the Concept of Operations;
     Modifications to the I-ETMS safety-critical functions 
outlined in their Risk Assessment, including changes to the following 
functions:
    [cir] Enforce Speed Limit for Reverse of Shoving Move,
    [cir] Enforce Blanket Speed Limit Even When Not Fully Active,
    [cir] Cab Signal Enforcement Criteria, and
    [cir] Consist Sanity Check for Zero Isolated Locomotive, Trailing 
Tonnage, Car Count and Operative Brake Count.
     Modifications to the target safety levels identified in 
their Risk Assessment; and
     Modifications to the human-machine interface of I-ETMS, 
including modifications to the PTC Initialization Key and the MTEA 
Enable Max Speed Indication Display, which also requires amendments to 
the PTC training for their train crews.
    Interested parties are invited to comment on this RFA by submitting 
written comments or data. During FRA's review of these railroads' joint 
RFA, FRA will consider any comments or data submitted within the 
timeline specified in this notice and to the extent practicable, 
without delaying implementation of valuable or necessary modifications 
to PTC systems. See 49 CFR 236.1021; see also 49 CFR 236.1011(e). Under 
49 CFR 236.1021, FRA maintains the authority to approve, approve with 
conditions, or deny these railroads' joint RFA to their PTCSPs at FRA's 
sole discretion.

Privacy Act Notice

    In accordance with 49 CFR 211.3, FRA solicits comments from the 
public to better inform its decisions. DOT posts these comments, 
without edit, including any personal information the commenter 
provides, to https://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 https://www.regulations.gov/privacy-notice for the privacy notice of regulations.gov. To facilitate 
comment tracking, we encourage commenters to provide their name, or the 
name of their organization; however, submission of names is completely 
optional. If you wish to provide comments containing proprietary or 
confidential information, please contact FRA for alternate submission 
instructions.

    Issued in Washington, DC.
Carolyn R. Hayward-Williams,
Director, Office of Railroad Systems and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2023-07400 Filed 4-7-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P