[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 146 (Friday, August 1, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36280-36281]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-14644]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Number FRA-2025-0136]
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 Mt. Rainier
Scenic Railroad (MRSR) petitioned FRA for relief from certain
regulations concerning steam locomotive inspections.
DATES: FRA must receive comments on the petition by September 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: Michael Barron, Railroad Safety
Specialist, FRA Motive Power & Equipment Division, telephone: 202-366-
7117, 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 May 23, 2025, MRSR petitioned FRA for a waiver of
compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad safety
regulations contained at 49 CFR part 230 (Steam Locomotive Inspection
and Maintenance Standards). FRA assigned the petition Docket Number
FRA-2025-0136.
Specifically, MRSR seeks relief from Sec. 230.17(a), One thousand
four hundred seventy-two (1472) service day
[[Page 36281]]
inspection, which requires a steam locomotive's ``entire boiler'' to be
inspected after 1,472 service days or 15 years, whichever is earlier.
MRSR, a tourist railroad, seeks to extend for 62 operating days the
deadline for its 15-year inspection, from September 7, 2025, to
December 31, 2025, which would allow locomotive Polson No. 70 to
continue operations during the fall and winter months, which MRSR
states comprise more than 50% of its annual ridership. In its petition,
MRSR explains that Polson No. 70 is ``safe and structurally sound for
continued operation,'' citing its annual inspection and hydrostatic
test in April 2025, which was witnessed by FRA. MRSR further states
that its tourist service is a ``major regional driver of tourism and
economic development'' in its community, and, as MRSR's two other steam
locomotives are not currently available for use, without this relief,
MRSR faces ``the real risk of closure.''
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 September 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. 2025-14644 Filed 7-31-25; 8:45 am]
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