Notice2022-08002
Petition for Approval: Union Pacific Railroad
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 14, 2022
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Railroad Administration
Abstract
This document provides the public notice that on March 24, 2022, Union Pacific Railroad (UP) petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to transition from phase 1 to phase 2 of a previously approved test program and associated temporary suspension of some visual track inspections. The Test Program is designed to test track inspection technologies (i.e., an autonomous track geometry measurement system) and new operational approaches to track inspections (i.e., combinations of autonomous inspection and traditional visual inspections).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 72 (Thursday, April 14, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 72 (Thursday, April 14, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22282-22283]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-08002]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2020-0031]
Petition for Approval: Union Pacific Railroad
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
[[Page 22283]]
ACTION: Notice of petition for approval to move to phase 2 of track
inspection test program.
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SUMMARY: This document provides the public notice that on March 24,
2022, Union Pacific Railroad (UP) petitioned the Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) to transition from phase 1 to phase 2 of a
previously approved test program and associated temporary suspension of
some visual track inspections. The Test Program is designed to test
track inspection technologies (i.e., an autonomous track geometry
measurement system) and new operational approaches to track inspections
(i.e., combinations of autonomous inspection and traditional visual
inspections).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yu-Jiang Zhang, Staff Director, Track
and Structures Division, Office of Railroad Safety, FRA, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202) 493-6460 or
email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#562f233c3f373831782c3e3738311632392278313920"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="59202c333038373e77233138373e193d362d773e362f">[email protected]</span></a>; Aaron Moore, Attorney, Office of Chief
Counsel, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590,
telephone (202) 493-7009 or email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c7a6a6b5a8a9e9aaa8a8b5a287a3a8b3e9a0a8b1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5a3b3b28353474373535283f1a3e352e743d352c">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 28, 2020, FRA conditionally
approved the Test Program and UP's petition under 49 CFR 211.51 to
suspend Sec. Sec. 213.233(c) as applied to operations under the Test
Program. A copy of the Test Program, FRA's conditional approval of the
Test Program, and a previously published Federal Register notice
explaining FRA's rationale for approving the Test Program and related
suspension are available for review in the docket.\1\
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\1\ <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2020-0031-0001">https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2020-0031-0001</a>
(Test Program); <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2020-0031-0002">https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2020-0031-0002</a> (FRA's approval decision); <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2020-0031-0005">https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2020-0031-0005</a> (FRA's published notice of approval).
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As approved, the Test Program included two separate phases over 12
months, as outlined in Exhibit C of the Program.\2\ Accordingly, UP
began the Test Program on June 15, 2020. Subsequently, UP requested,
and FRA approved, an extension of the Test Program until November 23,
2022.
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\2\ <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2020-0031-0001">https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2020-0031-0001</a>.
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UP is requesting to transition from phase 1 to 2 on one of the Test
Program routes, the Sunset route. In support of its request, UP states
that it has met the Test Program conditions required to move to phase 2
and has achieved an average safety metric of 0.67 unprotected geometry
defects per 100 miles tested and 3.47 track inspector identified
geometry defects per month in phase 1 of the Test Program. UP is not
requesting to move to phase 2 on the SPCSL route.
A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications
concerning the petition, if any, are available for review online at
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>.
Interested parties are invited to participate in these proceedings
by submitting written views, data, or comments.
All communications concerning these proceedings should identify the
appropriate docket number and may be submitted by any of the following
methods:
<bullet> Website: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
Communications received by May 16, 2022 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.). Under 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 <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, as described in the system of records
notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/privacy">https://www.transportation.gov/privacy</a>. See also <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/privacy-notice">https://www.regulations.gov/privacy-notice</a> for the privacy notice of <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a>.
Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2022-08002 Filed 4-13-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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