[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 21, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13141-13143]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03478]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2024-0008]


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 
April 22, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR 
should be submitted on regulations.gov to the docket, Docket No. FRA-
2024-0008. All comments received will be posted without change to the 
docket, including any personal information provided. Please refer to 
the assigned OMB control number (2130-0632) 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

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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: Metrics and Minimum Standards for Intercity Passenger Train 
Operations.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0632.
    Abstract: In November 2020, in connection with a Congressional 
mandate, FRA published a final rule titled Metrics and Minimum 
Standards for Intercity Passenger Train Operations. (49 CFR part 273). 
The final rule established metrics and a minimum standard for measuring 
the performance and service quality of intercity passenger train 
operations, including cost recovery, on-time performance and minutes of 
delay, ridership, on-board services, stations, facilities, equipment, 
and other services.\1\
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    \1\ See 85 FR 72971.
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    In this 60-day notice, FRA makes adjustments that will reduce the 
currently approved burden hours from 507 to 141 hours. The reduced 
burden hours are a result of 126 one-time start-up burden hours 
required by Amtrak to initially create a system to process, prepare, 
and submit this data. Now that a system has been implemented, the 
estimated timeframe it takes to produce the data has been reduced and 
is reflected in the adjusted burden hours for each of the requirement 
that are being completed under the following sections:
    Sec.  273.5(b) Ridership data--10-hour start-up burden.
    Sec.  273.5(c) Certified schedule--26-hour start-up burden.
    Sec.  273.5(f) Station performance--20-hour start-up burden.
    Sec.  273.5(g) Host running time--40-hour start-up burden.
    Sec.  273.11(b) Missed connections--10-hour start-up burden.
    Sec.  273.11(c) Community access--10-hour start-up burden.
    Sec.  273.11(d) Service availability--10-hour start-up burden.
    Additionally, under Sec.  273.5(c)(2), the estimated burden has 
been reduced from 300 to 60 hours to accurately reflect the number of 
anticipated responses for the next three-year information collection 
period, based on experience from the first three years this regulation 
was in effect.
    Type of Request: Extension without change (with changes in 
estimates) of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Amtrak.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Respondent Universe: Amtrack and Host Railroad(s).
    Frequency of Submission: Varied.

                                                                    Reporting Burden
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                                                                                               Average time                                 Total cost
                 CFR section                        Respondent universe        Total annual    per responses   Total annual   Wage rate   equivalent in
                                                                                 responses        (hours)      burden hours      \2\       U.S dollars
                                                                                         (A)             (B)     (C = A * B)        (E)      (D = C * E)
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273.5(a)--Customer on-time performance......  1 railroad....................               4               1               4     $85.93          $343.72
273.5(b)--Ridership data....................  1 railroad....................              12               1              12      85.93         1,031.16
273.5(c)--Certified schedule................  1 railroad....................               1               1               1      85.93            85.93
273.5(c)(2)--Monthly letter to U.S. Congress  Amtrack and Host railroad.....              12               5              60      85.93         5,155.80
 and other officials.
273.5(d)--Train delays......................  1 railroad....................               4               1               4      85.93           343.72
273.5(e)--Train delays per 10,000 train       1 railroad....................               4               1               4      85.93           343.72
 miles.
273.5(f)--Station performance...............  1 railroad....................               4               1               4      85.93           343.72
273.5(g)--Host running time.................  1 railroad....................               4               1               4      85.93           343.72
273.7(a)--Customer satisfaction.............  1 railroad....................               4               1               4      85.93           343.72
273.7(b)--Amtrak personnel..................  1 railroad....................               4               1               4      85.93           343.72
273.7(c)--Information given.................  1 railroad....................               4               1               4      85.93           343.72
273.7(d)--On-board comfort..................  1 railroad....................               4               1               4      85.93           343.72
273.7(e)--On-board cleanliness..............  1 railroad....................               4               1               4      85.93           343.72
273.7(f)--On-board food service.............  1 railroad....................               4               1               4      85.93           343.72
273.9(a)--Cost recovery.....................  1 railroad....................               4               1               4      85.93           343.72
273.9(b)--Avoidable operating costs covered   1 railroad....................               4               1               4      85.93           343.72
 by passenger revenue.
273.9(c)--Fully allocated core operating      1 railroad....................               4               1               4      85.93           343.72
 costs covered by passenger revenue.
273.9(d)--Average ridership.................  1 railroad....................               4               1               4      85.93           343.72
273.9(e)--Total ridership...................  1 railroad....................               4               1               4      85.93           343.72
273.11(a)--Connectivity.....................  1 railroad....................               1               1               1      85.93            85.93
273.11(b)--Missed connections...............  1 railroad....................               1               1               1      85.93            85.93

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273.11(c)--Community access.................  1 railroad....................               1               1               1      85.93            85.93
273.11(d)--Service availability.............  1 railroad....................               1               1               1      85.93            85.93
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    Total \3\...............................  Amtrak and host railroad......              93             N/A             141  .........           12,116
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    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 93.
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    \2\ 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).
    \3\ Totals may not add up due to rounding.
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    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 141 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $12,116.
    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. 2024-03478 Filed 2-20-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P