[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 150 (Monday, August 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 63467]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17135]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2022-0098]


Brightline Trains Florida's Request To Amend Its Positive Train 
Control Safety Plan and 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 May 29, 
2024, and July 19, 2024, Brightline Trains Florida (BLF) submitted a 
request for amendment (RFA) to its FRA-approved Positive Train Control 
Safety Plan (PTCSP). As this RFA involves a request for FRA's approval 
of proposed material modifications to an FRA-certified positive train 
control (PTC) system, FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public 
comment on the railroad's RFA to its PTCSP.

DATES: FRA will consider comments received by August 26, 2024. 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-2022-0098. 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, on May 29, 
2024, BLF submitted an RFA to its PTCSP for its Interoperable 
Electronic Train Management System (I-ETMS), which seeks FRA's approval 
of BLF's request to implement I-ETMS Protect 7.0.3.0 which allows for 
the details of the fixed high-speed consist to be modifiable in the 
onboard computer configuration files. This change is necessary as BLF 
is planning to add passenger cars in order to operate high speed trains 
with a consist of 2 locomotives with more than 4 passenger cars. On 
July 19, 2024, BLF submitted the pertinent software release notes, 
which are a required element of an RFA to a PTCSP under 49 CFR 
236.1021(m). BLF's completed RFA is available in Docket No. FRA-2022-
0098.
    Interested parties are invited to comment on BLF's RFA to its PTCSP 
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 to its PTCSP 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. 2024-17135 Filed 8-2-24; 8:45 am]
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