[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 217 (Monday, November 13, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77665-77666]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-24973]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2010-0028, -0029, -0039, -0042, -0043, -0045, -0048, -
0049, -0051, -0054, -0056, -0057, -0058, -0059, -0060, -0061, -0062, -
0064, -0065, and -0070]


Railroads' Joint Request To Amend Their Positive Train Control 
Safety Plans

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 November 
3, 2023, twenty host railroads submitted a joint request for amendment 
(RFA) to their FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plans (PTCSP) 
to implement on-board software changes to the human-machine interface 
(HMI) which requires amendments to positive train control (PTC) 
training for train crews. As this joint RFA may involve requests for 
FRA's approval of proposed material modifications to FRA-certified PTC 
systems, FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on 
the railroads' joint RFA to their PTCSPs.

DATES: FRA will consider comments received by December 4, 2023. FRA may 
consider comments received after that date to the extent practicable 
and without delaying implementation of valuable or necessary 
modifications to PTC systems.

ADDRESSES: 
    Comments: Comments may be submitted by going to https://www.regulations.gov and following the online instructions for 
submitting comments.

[[Page 77666]]

    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and the 
applicable docket number. The relevant PTC docket numbers for the host 
railroads that filed a joint RFA to their PTCSPs are cited above and in 
the Supplementary Information section of this notice. 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 PTCSP, a host 
railroad must submit, and obtain FRA's approval of, an RFA to its 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 the twenty 
host railroads' recent, joint RFA to their PTCSPs is available in their 
respective public PTC dockets. This notice provides an opportunity for 
public comment.
    On November 3, 2023, the following twenty host railroads jointly 
submitted an RFA to their respective PTCSPs for their Interoperable 
Electronic Train Management Systems (I-ETMS): Alaska Railroad; The Belt 
Railway Company of Chicago; BNSF Railway; Peninsula Corridor Joint 
Powers Board (Caltrain); Canadian National Railway; Canadian Pacific 
Railway; Consolidated Rail Corporation; CSX Transportation, Inc.; 
Kansas City Southern Railway; Kansas City Terminal Railway; National 
Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak); New Mexico Rail Runner 
Express; Norfolk Southern Railway; North County Transit District; 
Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation (Metra); 
Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District; South Florida 
Regional Transportation Authority; Southern California Regional Rail 
Authority (Metrolink); Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis; and 
Union Pacific Railroad. This RFA includes on-board software changes to 
the HMI which require amendments to PTC training for train crews. Their 
joint RFA is available in Docket Numbers FRA-2010-0028, -0029, -0039, -
0042, -0043, -0045, -0048, -0049, -0051, -0054, -0056, -0057, -0058, -
0059, -0060, -0061, -0062, -0064, -0065, and -0070.
    Interested parties are invited to comment on this RFA by submitting 
written comments or data. During FRA's review of these railroads' joint 
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 PTC systems. 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 these railroads' joint RFA to their PTCSPs 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. 2023-24973 Filed 11-9-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P