[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 82 (Wednesday, April 30, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 17993]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-07485]



[[Page 17993]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2025-0030]


Notice of Petition for 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 Sonoma-Marin 
Area Rail Transit (SMART) District petitioned FRA for relief from 
certain regulations concerning safety appliances.

DATES: FRA must receive comments on the petition by May 30, 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: Harry Weisinger, Railroad Safety 
Specialist, FRA Motive Power & Equipment Division, telephone: 202-493-
0036, 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 received February 7, 2025, SMART petitioned FRA for a waiver of 
compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad safety 
regulations contained at 49 CFR part 231 (Railroad Safety Appliance 
Standards). FRA assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-2025-0030.
    Specifically, SMART seeks relief from Sec.  231.14(f)(4)(i), 
Passenger-train cars without end platforms, which states that side door 
steps ``exceeding 18 inches in depth shall have an additional tread and 
be laterally braced.'' SMART's 18 Nippon Sharyo diesel multiple units 
(DMUs) operating in passenger service each currently have four 
compliant, 2-ring sill steps that occasionally cause crews to enter and 
exit cars where they must step more than 24 inches to the ground, which 
increases safety risks. SMART explains that it has tested a 3-ring sill 
step that reduces the distance to the ground to 14 inches, but SMART 
finds that lateral bracing on these steps ``is impractical and would 
make repairs and maintenance on the equipment mounted behind the sill 
steps more difficult.'' SMART proposes ``to add a third step to the 
existing two step configuration'' to ``reduce injury risk for our 
employees that have to mount/dismount the equipment outside of the 
maintenance facility.''
    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 May 30, 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. 2025-07485 Filed 4-29-25; 8:45 am]
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