Notice2023-07559
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Request To Amend Its Positive Train Control System
Primary source
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Published
April 11, 2023
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Railroad Administration
Abstract
This document provides the public with notice that, on March 23, 2023, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) submitted a request for amendment (RFA) to its FRA-certified positive train control (PTC) system in order to support the reconfiguration of its underlying Automatic Train Control (ATC) system on its commuter rail network. On MBTA's South Side, the ATC System in the area is being reconfigured requiring the PTC system to be taken out of service during the reconfiguration as well as during the recommissioning of the ATC system and MBTA's Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System II (ACSES II). FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on MBTA's RFA to its PTC system.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 69 (Tuesday, April 11, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 11, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21738-21739]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07559]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2010-0030]
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Request To Amend Its
Positive Train Control System
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
23, 2023, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
submitted a request for amendment (RFA) to its FRA-certified positive
train control (PTC) system in order to support the reconfiguration of
its underlying Automatic Train Control (ATC) system on its commuter
rail network. On MBTA's South Side, the ATC System in the area is being
reconfigured requiring the PTC system to be taken out of service during
the reconfiguration as well as during the recommissioning of the ATC
system and MBTA's Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System II (ACSES
II). FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on
MBTA's RFA to its PTC system.
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 a PTC system.
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 number for this host
railroad is Docket No. FRA-2010-0030. For convenience, all active PTC
dockets are hyperlinked on FRA's website at <a href="https://railroads.dot.gov/research-development/program-areas/train-control/ptc/railroads-ptc-dockets">https://railroads.dot.gov/research-development/program-areas/train-control/ptc/railroads-ptc-dockets</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#3b7c5a595e15755e5a577b5f544f155c544d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="32755350571c7c57535e72565d461c555d44">[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 PTC Safety Plan
(PTCSP), a host railroad must submit, and obtain FRA's approval of, an
RFA to its PTC system or 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 or discontinuance of a signal and
train control system. Accordingly, this notice informs the public that,
on December 21, 2022, MBTA submitted an RFA to its ACSES II system,
which seeks FRA's approval to temporarily discontinue its PTC system to
install Construction Zone (CZ) Transponders on MBTA's Middleboro Main
Line segment between May and June 2023. That RFA is available in Docket
No. FRA-2010-0030.
Interested parties are invited to comment on MBTA's RFA to its PTC
system by submitting written comments or data. During FRA's review of
this railroad's 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 a PTC system. 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 a railroad's RFA to its PTC
system 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,
[[Page 21739]]
please contact FRA for alternate submission instructions.
Issued in Washington, DC.
Carolyn R. Hayward-Williams,
Director, Office of Railroad Systems and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2023-07559 Filed 4-10-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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