[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 214 (Monday, November 4, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 56733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-28151]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[FRA Docket No. RST-96-2]
Petition for Waiver of Compliance Cant Deficient Passenger Train
Operation
In accordance with Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
Sections 211.9 and 211.41, notice is hereby given that the Federal
Railroad Administration (FRA) received from the National Railroad
Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) a request for waiver of compliance with
certain requirements of 49 CFR Part 213: TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS.
The purpose of Amtrak's petition is to secure approval from FRA to
operate equipment know as RoadRailers in passenger trains that are now
permitted to operate at four inches of cant deficiency. After Amtrak
takes delivery, the RoadRailers will be used primarily in trains for
time-sensitive first and second class mail.
For several years, Amtrak has operated passenger trains with a
variety of equipment at four inches of cant deficiency (underbalance)
on tracks either owned by Amtrak or other railroads such as Union
Pacific, Burlington Northern, and Southern Pacific. This has allowed
Amtrak to increase average train speeds and reduce the number of late
arrivals. Without approval for the operation of RoadRailers at four
inches of cant deficiency, Amtrak would have to revert to slower
curving speeds on passenger trains that have RoadRailers in their
consists.
Currently, Section 213.57(b) permits a maximum of three inches to
be used as the underbalance term (cant deficiency) in the formulation
of curve/speed tables by track maintenance engineers defining train
speeds for curved track superelevations for any route between two
points.
The waivers granted Amtrak and the other railroads permit the
substitution of four inches in the Vmax formula in Section 213.57.
Interested parties are invited to participate in this proceeding 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, they should notify FRA, in
writing, before the end of the comment period and specify the basis for
their request.
All communications concerning this proceeding should identify the
appropriate docket number (e.g., Waiver Petition Docket No. RST-96-2)
and must be submitted in triplicate to the Docket Clerk, Office of
Chief Counsel, Federal Railroad Administration, Nassif Building, 400
Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590. Communications received
within 30 days of the date of this notice will be considered by FRA
before final action is taken. Comments received after that date will be
considered as far as practicable. All written communications concerning
these proceedings are available for examination during regular business
hours (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) at FRA's temporary docket room located at 1120
Vermont Avenue, N.W., Room 7051, Washington, D.C. 20005.
Issued in Washington, D.C. on October 23, 1996.
Phil Olekszyk,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Compliance and Program
Implementation.
[FR Doc. 96-28151 Filed 11-01-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
