[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 213 (Monday, November 6, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76269-76270]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-24450]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2023-0002-N-27]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

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

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its 
implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information 
Collection Request (ICR) summarized below. Before submitting this ICR 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is 
soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities 
identified in the ICR.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
January 5, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR 
should be submitted on regulations.gov to the docket, Docket No. FRA-
2023-0002. All comments received will be posted without change to the 
docket, including any personal information provided. Please refer to 
the assigned OMB control number (2130-0564) in any correspondence 
submitted. FRA will summarize comments received in a subsequent 30-day 
notice and include them in its information collection submission to 
OMB.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Arlette Mussington, Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: [email protected] or 
telephone: (571) 609-1285 or Ms. Joanne Swafford, Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: [email protected] or 
telephone: (757) 897-9908.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, and its 
implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to 
provide 60-days' notice to the public to allow comment on information 
collection activities before seeking OMB approval of the activities. 
See 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. Specifically, 
FRA invites interested parties to comment on the following ICR 
regarding: (1) whether the information collection activities are 
necessary for FRA to properly execute its functions, including whether 
the activities will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of FRA's 
estimates of the burden of the information collection activities, 
including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used to 
determine the estimates; (3) ways for FRA to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and (4) ways 
for FRA to minimize the burden of information collection activities on 
the public, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology. See 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 
CFR 1320.8(d)(1).
    FRA believes that soliciting public comment may reduce the 
administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection of 
information that Federal regulations mandate. In summary, comments 
received will advance three objectives: (1) reduce reporting burdens; 
(2) organize information collection requirements in a ``user-friendly'' 
format to improve the use of such information; and (3) accurately 
assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce information 
requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.
    The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB 
clearance as the PRA requires:
    Title: Locomotive Crashworthiness.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0564.
    Abstract: Under 49 CFR part 229, subpart D, FRA prescribes minimum 
crashworthiness standards for certain locomotives. These 
crashworthiness standards are intended to help protect locomotive cab 
occupants in the event of a train collision or derailment. FRA uses 
this collection of information to ensure railroads operate locomotives 
that meet the prescribed minimum performance standards and design load

[[Page 76270]]

requirements for newly manufactured and re-manufactured locomotives.
    In this 60-day notice, FRA makes adjustments that decrease the 
previously approved estimated total annual burden hours from 507 hours 
to 407 hours. These estimate adjustments reflect that FRA anticipates a 
decrease in the annual petition submissions for approval of substantive 
and non-substantive changes to locomotive crashworthiness design 
standards and alternative design standards under the following 
sections:
     Under Sec.  229.207(c), FRA is decreasing the estimated 
annual burden hours by 33.50 hours.
     Under Sec.  229.207(d), FRA is decreasing the estimated 
annual burden hours by 33.50 hours.
     Under Sec.  229.209(b), FRA is decreasing the estimated 
annual burden hours by 33.50 hours.
    Type of Request: Extension without change (with changes in 
estimates) of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses/Public/Interested Parties.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Respondent Universe: 783 railroads, 4 locomotive manufacturers.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion; one-time.

                                                Reporting Burden
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                                                                                                    Total cost
         CFR Section              Respondent       Total annual    Average  time   Total annual   equivalent  in
                                   universe         responses     per  responses   burden  hours    U.S. dollar
                               ................  (A)............             (B)     (C = A * B)   (D = C * wage
                                                                                                      rates) \1\
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229.207(b)--Petitions for FRA  783 railroads 4   2.00 petitions.        50 hours          100.00       $8,593.00
 approval of new locomotive     locomotive
 crashworthiness design         manufacturers.
 standards.
--(c) Petition for FRA         783 railroads 4   0.33 petition..        50 hours           16.50        1,417.85
 approval of substantive        locomotive
 changes to FRA-approved        manufacturers.
 locomotive crashworthiness
 design standard.
--(d) Petition for FRA         783 railroads 4   0.33 petition..        50 hours           16.50        1,417.85
 approval of non-substantive    locomotive
 changes to existing FRA        manufacturers.
 approved locomotive
 crashworthiness design
 standard.
229.209(b)--Alternative        783 railroads 4   0.33 petition..        50 hours           16.50        1,417.85
 locomotive crashworthiness     locomotive
 designs--Petition for FRA      manufacturers.
 approval.
229.211(b)(3)--Processing      783 railroads 4   1.00 hearing...        24 hours           24.00        2,062.32
 petitions--Additional          locomotive
 information for FRA to         manufacturers.
 appropriately consider the
 petition.
229.213(a)(3)--Locomotive      783 railroads...  500 records/          2 minutes           16.67        1,432.45
 manufacturing information:                       stickers/badge
 retention by railroads.                          plates.
229.215--(a) Retention and     4 locomotive      24 locomotive           8 hours          192.00       16,498.56
 inspection of designs--        manufacturers.    records.
 Retention of records--
 Original designs.
--(b) Repairs and              783 railroads...  6 locomotive            4 hours           24.00        2,062.32
 modifications--Records.                          crashworthines
                                                  s modification/
                                                  repair records.
--(c) Inspection of records..  783 railroads...  20 records.....       2 minutes            0.67           57.57
                              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total \2\................  783 railroads...  554 responses..             N/A             407          34,960
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    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 554.
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    \1\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the 2022 Surface 
Transportation Board Full Year Wage A&B data series using employee 
group 200: (Professional & Administrative), hourly wage rate of 
$49.10. The total burden wage rate (straight time plus 75%) used in 
the table is $85.93 ($49.10 x 1.75 = $85.93).
    \2\ Totals may not add up due to rounding.
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    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 407 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $34,960.
    FRA informs all interested parties that it may not conduct or 
sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, a collection 
of information that does not display a currently valid OMB control 
number.
    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

Christopher S. Van Nostrand,
Acting Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2023-24450 Filed 11-3-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P