[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 22, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 57168]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17990]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2010-0049]


North County Transit District Request for Approval To Begin Field 
Testing on Its Positive Train Control Network Comment Extension Notice

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

ACTION: Notice of extension for request for comments.

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SUMMARY: 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 as part of its 
positive train control (PTC) system. FRA published a notice inviting 
public comment on NCTD's request to test its PTC system, with the 
initial comment period closing on August 30, 2023. This document 
provides the public with notice that FRA is extending the comment 
period on NCTD's test request from August 30, 2023, to October 10, 
2023.

DATES: FRA will consider comments received by October 10, 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/reserch-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 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, FRA encourages 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. 2023-17990 Filed 8-21-23; 8:45 am]
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