[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 206 (Thursday, October 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 73635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-23638]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2010-0029]


Amtrak's Request To Amend Its Positive Train Control System

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 October 
17, 2023, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) 
submitted a request for amendment (RFA) to its FRA-certified positive 
train control (PTC) system. FRA is publishing this notice and inviting 
public comment on the railroad's RFA to its PTC system.

DATES: FRA will consider comments received by November 15, 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-2010-0029. 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. Before making certain changes to an FRA-
certified PTC system or the associated FRA-approved PTC Safety Plan 
(PTCSP), a host railroad must submit, and obtain FRA's approval of, an 
RFA to its PTC system or 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 or train control 
system. Accordingly, this notice informs the public that, on October 
17, 2023, Amtrak submitted an RFA to its PTCSP for its Interoperable 
Electronic Train Management System (I-ETMS), which seeks FRA's approval 
for an approximately two- hour but no greater that three-hour PTC 
outage that is necessary to enable an upgrade to Amtrak's PTC Back 
Office Subsystem. Amtrak's RFA states that to perform a necessary PTC 
Back Office Subsystem upgrade to improve the reliability and stability 
of the Amtrak's I-ETMS PTC system, Amtrak plans to temporarily disable 
its Mixed System PTC Back Office Subsystem. The RFA is available in 
Docket No. FRA-2010-0029. Interested parties are invited to comment on 
Amtrak's RFA by submitting written comments or data. During FRA's 
review of this railroad's 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 a PTC system. 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 a railroad's RFA 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. 2023-23638 Filed 10-25-23; 8:45 am]
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