[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 30 (Friday, February 13, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 6978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-02969]
[[Page 6978]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Number FRA-2005-21613]
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 the Association
of American Railroads (AAR) petitioned FRA for an extension of relief
from certain regulations concerning air brake system maintenance
intervals.
DATES: FRA must receive comments on the petition by March 16, 2026. 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: Steven Zuiderveen, Railroad Safety
Specialist, FRA Motive Power & Equipment Division, telephone: 202-493-
6337, 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 19, 2025 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 229 (Railroad Locomotive
Safety Standards). FRA assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-2005-
21613.
AAR requests extended relief from 49 CFR 229.29, Air brake system
calibration, maintenance, and testing, applicable to New York Air Brake
CCB-1, CCB-2, and CCB-26; Wabtec Railway Electronics EPIC-3102D2 and
EPIC-2; and FastBrake electronic air brake systems, for the extension
of time intervals for level two and level three locomotive air brake
system maintenance. In its petition, AAR states that the waiver should
be extended ``given its longstanding and successful history'' and based
on its safety record. AAR notes that FRA published a Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking on July 1, 2025 to codify the provisions of this waiver, but
AAR is petitioning for extended relief as the final rule has not yet
been published.\1\ In addition, AAR requests that FRA grant a unified
extension to all AAR member railroads that are currently participating
in this waiver.
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\1\ https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/07/01/2025-12168/amendments-to-brake-system-maintenance-and-inspection-requirements.
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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 March 16, 2026 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. 2026-02969 Filed 2-12-26; 8:45 am]
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