05-10282. Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System or Relief From the Requirements of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 236

Pursuant to Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 235 and 49 U.S.C. 20502(a), the following railroad has petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) seeking approval for the discontinuance or modification of the signal system or relief from the requirements of 49 CFR part 236 as detailed below.

Docket Number FRA-2005-20898

Applicant: CSX Transportation, Incorporated, Mr. N. Michael Choat, Chief Engineer, Communications and Signal, 4901 Belfort Road, Suite 130, Jacksonville, Florida 32256.

CSX Transportation (CSXT) seeks approval to extend the temporary discontinuance of the automatic block signal (ABS) system, near Winter Park, Florida, between milepost MPA 784.7 and milepost MPA 791.7, on the Jacksonville Division, Sanford Subdivision, for a period not to exceed one year. The request is associated with the August 13 and September 5, 2004 catastrophic events, in which CSXT experienced severe weather events, Hurricane Charlie and Hurricane Frances, which devastated most of the existing pole line in the area. The extensive pole line damage resulted in the suspension of the ABS system, as authorized by Title 49 CFR, § 235.7(a)(4), and the implementation of Track Warrant Control/Direct Traffic Control Rules, under the direction of the train dispatcher, to govern train movements.

The reason given for the proposed changes is that all grade crossing warning devices are now operational on the No. 2 main track, and electronic track circuits have been installed, placing the ABS signals back in service under Current of Traffic rules. The No. 1 main track is currently out of service, and the track inaccessible to rail traffic. Currently, work is in progress to return the damaged portion of the No.1 main track to service, but an extension for the temporary discontinuance is needed for completion of the scope of work within the submitted time line.

Any interested party desiring to protest the granting of an application shall set forth specifically the grounds upon which the protest is made, and include a concise statement of the interest of the party in the proceeding. Additionally, one copy of the protest shall be furnished to the applicant at the address listed above.

All communications concerning this proceeding should be identified by the docket number and must be submitted to the Docket Clerk, DOT Central Docket Management Facility, Room PL-401 (Plaza Level), 400 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. Communications received within 45 days of the date of this notice will be considered by the 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 the above facility. All documents in the public docket are also available for inspection and copying on the internet at the docket facility's Web site at http://dms.dot.gov.

FRA wishes to inform all potential commenters that anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477-78) or you may visit http://dms.dot.gov.

FRA expects to be able to determine these matters without an oral hearing. However, if a specific request for an oral hearing is accompanied by a showing that the party is unable to adequately present his or her position by written statements, an application may be set for public hearing.

Issued in Washington, DC, on May 17, 2005.

Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program Development.