2023-17101. North County Transit District's Request for Approval To Begin Field Testing on Its Positive Train Control Network

AGENCY:

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION:

Notice of availability and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

This document provides the public with notice that on July 25, 2023, North County Transit District (NCTD) submitted a request to field test its new Crash Energy Management (CEM) Bi-Level cab cars that have been equipped with NCTD's Interoperable Electronic Train Management System (I–ETMS) technology. FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on NCTD's request to test its positive train control (PTC) system.

DATES:

FRA will consider comments received by August 30, 2023. FRA may consider comments received after that date to the extent practicable and without delaying implementation of valuable or necessary modifications to a PTC system.

ADDRESSES:

Comments: Comments 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 the applicable docket number. The relevant PTC docket number for this host railroad is Docket No. FRA–2010–0049. For convenience, all active PTC documents are hyperlinked on FRA's website at https://railroads.dot.gov/​research-development/​program-areas/​train-control/​ptc/​railroads-ptc-dockets. All comments received will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov; this includes any personal information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Gabe Neal, Staff Director, Signal, Train Control, and Crossings Division, telephone: [phone], email: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In general, title 49 United States Code (U.S.C.) section 20157(h) requires FRA to certify that a host railroad's PTC system complies with title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 236, subpart I, before the technology may be operated in revenue service. On September 21, 2018, FRA certified NCTD's I–ETMS PTC system under 49 CFR 236.1015 and 49 U.S.C. 20157(h). Pursuant to 49 CFR 236.1035, a railroad must obtain FRA's approval before field testing an uncertified PTC system, or a product of an uncertified PTC system, or any regression testing of a certified PTC system on the general rail system. See49 CFR 236.1035(a). NCTD's test request, including a complete description of NCTD's Concept of Operations and its specific test procedures, including the measures that will be taken to ensure safety during testing, are available for review online at https://www.regulations.gov in Docket No. FRA–2010–0049.

Interested parties are invited to comment on NCTD's Test Request by submitting written comments or data. During its review of the test request, FRA will consider any comments or data submitted within the timeline specified in this notice and to the extent practicable, without delaying testing of valuable or necessary modifications to a PTC system. See49 CFR 236.1035. FRA, however, may elect not to respond to any particular comment, and under 49 CFR 236.1035, FRA maintains the authority to approve, approve with conditions, or deny the test request at its sole discretion.

Privacy Act Notice

In accordance with 49 CFR 211.3, FRA solicits comments from the public to better inform its decisions. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information the commenter provides, to https://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 https://www.regulations.gov/​privacy-notice for the privacy notice of regulations.gov. To facilitate comment tracking, we encourage commenters to provide their name, or the name of their organization; however, submission of names is completely optional. If you wish to provide comments containing proprietary or confidential information, please contact FRA for alternate submission instructions.

Issued in Washington, DC.

Carolyn R. Hayward-Williams,

Director, Office of Railroad Systems and Technology.