Notice2023-07400
Railroads' Joint Request To Amend Their Positive Train Control Safety Plans and Positive Train Control Systems
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 10, 2023
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Railroad Administration
Abstract
This document provides the public with notice that, on March 15, 2023, three host railroads submitted a joint request for amendment (RFA) to their FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plans (PTCSP). As this joint RFA involves requests for FRA's approval of updated onboard software that will materially modify their FRA- certified positive train control (PTC) systems, FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on railroads' joint RFA to their PTCSPs.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 68 (Monday, April 10, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 68 (Monday, April 10, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 21229]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07400]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Nos. FRA-2010-0044, and -2011-0104, and -2018-0012]
Railroads' Joint Request To Amend Their Positive Train Control
Safety Plans and Positive Train Control Systems
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: This document provides the public with notice that, on March
15, 2023, three host railroads submitted a joint request for amendment
(RFA) to their FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plans
(PTCSP). As this joint RFA involves requests for FRA's approval of
updated onboard software that will materially modify their FRA-
certified positive train control (PTC) systems, FRA is publishing this
notice and inviting public comment on railroads' joint RFA to their
PTCSPs.
DATES: FRA will consider comments received by May 1, 2023. FRA may
consider comments received after that date to the extent practicable
and without delaying implementation of valuable or necessary
modifications to PTC systems.
ADDRESSES: Comments: Comments may be submitted by going to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> 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 numbers for the host
railroads that filed a joint RFA to their PTCSPs are cited above and in
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. For convenience,
all active PTC dockets are hyperlinked on FRA's website at <a href="https://railroads.dot.gov/train-control/ptc/ptc-annual-and-quarterly-reports">https://railroads.dot.gov/train-control/ptc/ptc-annual-and-quarterly-reports</a>.
All comments received will be posted without change to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>; this includes any personal information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gabe Neal, Staff Director, Signal,
Train Control, and Crossings Division, telephone: 816-516-7168, email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8ec9efeceba0c0ebefe2ceeae1faa0e9e1f8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d394b2b1b6fd9db6b2bf93b7bca7fdb4bca5">[email protected]</span></a>.
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. Before making certain changes to an FRA-
certified PTC system or the associated FRA-approved PTCSP, a host
railroad must submit, and obtain FRA's approval of, an RFA to its PTCSP
under 49 CFR 236.1021.
Under 49 CFR 236.1021(e), FRA's regulations provide that FRA will
publish a notice in the Federal Register and invite public comment in
accordance with 49 CFR part 211, if an RFA includes a request for
approval of a material modification of a signal and train control
system. Accordingly, this notice informs the public that three host
railroads' recent, joint RFA to their PTCSPs is available in their
respective public PTC dockets, and this notice provides an opportunity
for public comment.
On March 15, 2023, the following three host railroads jointly
submitted an RFA to their respective PTCSPs for their Interoperable
Electronic Train Management Systems (I-ETMS): Central Florida Rail
Corridor, TEXRail, and Trinity Railway Express. Their joint RFA is
available in Docket Numbers FRA-2010-0044, FRA-2011-0104, and FRA-2018-
0012. The purpose of their joint RFA is to obtain FRA's approval of the
following types of proposed modifications:
<bullet> Modifications to the PTC Development Plan for I-ETMS,
specifically the Concept of Operations;
<bullet> Modifications to the I-ETMS safety-critical functions
outlined in their Risk Assessment, including changes to the following
functions:
[cir] Enforce Speed Limit for Reverse of Shoving Move,
[cir] Enforce Blanket Speed Limit Even When Not Fully Active,
[cir] Cab Signal Enforcement Criteria, and
[cir] Consist Sanity Check for Zero Isolated Locomotive, Trailing
Tonnage, Car Count and Operative Brake Count.
<bullet> Modifications to the target safety levels identified in
their Risk Assessment; and
<bullet> Modifications to the human-machine interface of I-ETMS,
including modifications to the PTC Initialization Key and the MTEA
Enable Max Speed Indication Display, which also requires amendments to
the PTC training for their train crews.
Interested parties are invited to comment on this RFA by submitting
written comments or data. During FRA's review of these railroads' joint
RFA, FRA will consider any comments or data submitted within the
timeline specified in this notice and to the extent practicable,
without delaying implementation of valuable or necessary modifications
to PTC systems. See 49 CFR 236.1021; see also 49 CFR 236.1011(e). Under
49 CFR 236.1021, FRA maintains the authority to approve, approve with
conditions, or deny these railroads' joint RFA to their PTCSPs at FRA's
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 <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://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 <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>. 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.
[FR Doc. 2023-07400 Filed 4-7-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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