[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 165 (Thursday, August 28, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42062-42063]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-16505]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Number FRA-2025-0260]
Notice of Petition for Special Approval of Alternative Standard
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This document provides the public notice that the American
Public
[[Page 42063]]
Transportation Association (APTA) petitioned FRA for relief from
certain regulations concerning brake equipment maintenance requirements
of multiple unit (MU) locomotives.
DATES: FRA must receive comments on the petition by September 29, 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 dated June 16, 2025, APTA petitioned FRA for a special approval
of an alternative standard to certain provisions of the Federal
railroad safety regulations contained at 49 CFR part 238 (Passenger
Equipment Safety Standards). FRA assigned the petition Docket No. FRA-
2025-0260.
Specifically, APTA requests approval of an alternative standard to
Sec. 238.309(b)(4), Periodic brake equipment maintenance, for electro-
pneumatic type brake systems on Stadler GTW and FLIRT MUs. The
regulation states that brake systems on MUs have maintenance intervals
of 736 days (about 2 years) for cleaning, repairing, and testing brake
components. APTA petitions to increase the maintenance interval to at
least 1,840 days (about 5 years).\1\ In support of its petition, APTA
states that the MUs are 100 percent equipped with air dryers.
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\1\ FRA may consider APTA's petition as a request to conduct an
age exploration program that may demonstrate a potential cleaning,
repairing, and testing interval beyond the 1,840-day minimum
maintenance interval requested in the petition, as warranted.
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With this petition, APTA intends to begin an age exploration
program, in which a test committee (including the original equipment
manufacturer and FRA representatives), would test the brake components
of GTW and FLIRT MUs. Testing of 2 vehicles per type would be conducted
every half year up to 5 years of service,\2\ as a representational
percentage of the 21 GTW and 20 FLIRT cars that are in revenue service
on six railroads.
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\2\ See previous note regarding the potential consideration of a
program with a duration beyond 5 years.
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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 29, 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. 2025-16505 Filed 8-27-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P