[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 153 (Thursday, August 10, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54393-54394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17101]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2010-0049]


North County Transit District'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 July 25, 
2023, North County Transit District (NCTD) submitted a request to field 
test its new Crash Energy Management (CEM) Bi-Level cab cars that have 
been equipped with NCTD's Interoperable Electronic Train Management 
System (I-ETMS) technology. FRA is publishing this notice and inviting 
public comment on NCTD's request to test its positive train control 
(PTC) system.

DATES: FRA will consider comments received by August 30, 2023. FRA may 
consider comments received after that date to the extent practicable 
and without delaying implementation of valuable or necessary 
modifications to 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-2010-0049. For convenience, all active PTC 
documents 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 September 21, 2018, FRA certified 
NCTD's I-ETMS 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). NCTD's test 
request, including a complete description of NCTD'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-
0049.
    Interested parties are invited to comment on NCTD's Test Request by 
submitting written comments or data. During its review of the test 
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. FRA, however, may elect not to respond 
to any particular comment, and under 49 CFR 236.1035, FRA maintains the 
authority to approve, approve with conditions, or deny the test request 
at its 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

[[Page 54394]]

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. 2023-17101 Filed 8-9-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P