[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25444-25445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08746]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2010-0030]


Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Request for Approval 
To Begin Field Testing on Its Positive Train Control Network

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 April 
11, 2023, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) 
submitted a request to field test its trains that have been equipped 
with MBTA's Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System II (ACSES II) 
technology on its South Coast Rail commuter rail lines. MBTA states 
that the tests will be performed and operation verified for all ACSES 
II PTC functions. FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public 
comment on MBTA's request to test its PTC system.

DATES: FRA will consider comments received by June 26, 2023. FRA may 
consider comments received after that date to the extent practicable 
and without delaying implementation of valuable or necessary testing on 
a PTC system.

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 number for this host 
railroad is Docket No. FRA-2010-0030. For convenience, all active PTC 
dockets are hyperlinked on FRA's website at https://railroads.dot.gov/research-development/program-areas/train-control/ptc/railroads-ptc-dockets. 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. On June 30, 2020, FRA certified MBTA's 
ACSES II PTC system under 49 CFR 236.1015 and 49 U.S.C. 20157(h). 
Pursuant to 49 CFR 236.1035, a railroad must obtain FRA's approval 
before field testing an uncertified PTC system, or a product of an 
uncertified PTC system, or any regression testing of a certified PTC 
system on the general rail system. See 49 CFR 236.1035(a). There are 
three stages of testing for which approval is being requested, starting 
with track database validation, followed by pre-certification and 
integration testing, and the final stage involving test results and 
documentation completion. MBTA's test request contains the required 
information, including a complete description of MBTA's Concept of 
Operations and its specific test procedures, including the measures 
that will be taken to ensure safety during testing, are available for 
review online at https://www.regulations.gov in Docket No. FRA-2010-
0030.
    Interested parties are invited to comment on MBTA's Test Request by 
submitting written comments or data. During FRA's review of this 
railroad's request, FRA will consider any comments or data submitted 
within the timeline specified in this notice and to the extent 
practicable, without delaying testing of valuable or necessary 
modifications to a PTC system. See 49 CFR 236.1035. Under 49 CFR 
236.1035, FRA maintains the authority to approve, approve with 
conditions, or deny a railroad's test request 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

[[Page 25445]]

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. 2023-08746 Filed 4-25-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P