2019-07139. Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System

Under part 235 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and 49 U.S.C. 20502(a), this document provides the public notice that by a document dated March 21, 2019, Appalachian and Ohio Railroad, Inc. (A&O) and CSX Transportation (CSXT) jointly petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) seeking approval to discontinue or modify a signal system. FRA assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-2019-0027.

Applicants:

Appalachian and Ohio Railroad, Inc., Mr. J. Thomas Garrett, President, 200 Clark Street, Paducah, KY 42003

CSX Transportation, Mr. Carl A. Walker, Chief Engineer, Communications and Signals, 500 Water Street, Speed Code J-350, Jacksonville, FL 32202

A&O and CSXT request approval to discontinue the traffic control system (TCS) on trackage leased from owner CSXT, on the A&O Cowen District Main Line from control point (CP) Berkeley Run Junction Milepost (MP) BUC 0.0, Grafton WV, to CP Hampton Junction MP BUC 42.1, Buckhannon, WV. CSXT currently dispatches and provides maintenance of the TCS.

A&O states the reasons for the proposed changes are that traffic volumes do not warrant TCS and the current signal system is obsolete and replacement components are difficult to obtain or unavailable from vendors.

A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications concerning the petition, is available for review online at www.regulations.gov and in person at the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Docket Operations Facility, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, W12-140, Washington, DC 20590. The Docket Operations Facility is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.

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 parties desire 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.

All communications concerning these proceedings should identify the appropriate docket number and may be submitted by any of the following methods:

• Website: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
• Fax: [phone].
• Mail: Docket Operations Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, W12-140, Washington, DC 20590.
• Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.

Communications received by May 28, 2019 will be considered by FRA before final action is taken. Comments received after that date will be considered if practicable.

Anyone can search the electronic form of any written communications and comments received into any of our 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.). In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to better 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 www.dot.gov/​privacy. See also http://www.regulations.gov/​#!privacyNotice for the privacy notice of regulations.gov.

Issued in Washington, DC.

John Karl Alexy,

Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Railroad Safety.