[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 40 (Monday, March 3, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 11089]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-03363]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Number FRA-2013-0077]
Notice of Petition for Extension of Waiver of Compliance
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This document provides the public notice that by letter dated
December 26, 2024, the Association of American Railroads (AAR)
petitioned FRA for an extension of relief from certain regulations
concerning rail cars equipped with end of car cushioning units.
DATES: FRA must receive comments on the petition by April 2, 2025. FRA
will consider comments received after that date to the extent
practicable.
ADDRESSES:
Comments: Comments related to this docket 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
docket number. All comments received will be posted without change to
https://www.regulations.gov; this includes any personal information.
Please see the Privacy Act heading in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section of this document for Privacy Act information related to any
submitted comments or materials.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov and follow the
online instructions for accessing the docket.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Leith Al-Nazer, Railroad Safety
Specialist, FRA Motive Power & Equipment Division, telephone: 202-493-
6128, email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under part 211 of title 49 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR), this document provides the public notice that by
letter dated December 26, 2024, AAR petitioned FRA for an extension of
a waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad
safety regulations contained at 49 CFR part 215, Railroad Freight Car
Safety Standards. The relevant Docket Number is FRA-2013-0077.
Specifically, AAR seeks an extension of relief from Sec.
215.127(c)(1), Defective draft arrangement, which specifies that a
railroad may not place or continue in service a car if an end of car
cushioning unit is leaking clearly formed droplets. AAR proposes to
keep a car in service ``if the unit is equipped with a [unit condition
indicator] that indicates that the cushioning unit is functioning.''
In support of its request, AAR states that the waiver has protected
railroad employees ``from needless exposure to switching hazards
related to jacking freight cars and removing and replacing heavy
cushion units because railroads have been able to leave fully
functioning cushioning units in place.'' Further, AAR notes that the
relief has ``allowed the industry to avoid unnecessary repairs'' due to
the current regulatory requirements. The petition also included data
from AAR's performance assessments of units identified as defective by
a unit condition indicator.
A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications
concerning the petition, is available for review online at
www.regulations.gov.
Interested parties are invited to participate in these proceedings
by submitting written views, data, or comments. FRA does not anticipate
scheduling a public hearing in connection with these proceedings since
the facts do not appear to warrant a hearing. If any interested party
desires an opportunity for oral comment and a public hearing, they
should notify FRA, in writing, before the end of the comment period and
specify the basis for their request.
Communications received by April 2, 2025 will be considered by FRA
before final action is taken. Comments received after that date will be
considered if practicable.
Privacy Act
Anyone can search the electronic form of any written communications
and comments received into any of FRA's dockets by the name of the
individual submitting the comment (or signing the document, if
submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.).
Under 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to inform
its processes. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any
personal information the commenter provides, to 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 also https://www.regulations.gov/privacy-notice for the privacy notice of
regulations.gov.
Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2025-03363 Filed 2-28-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P