Notice2025-08199
Notice of Petition for Waiver of Compliance
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
May 9, 2025
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Railroad Administration
Abstract
This document provides the public notice that the Association of American Railroads (AAR) petitioned FRA for relief from certain regulations concerning track inspections.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 89 (Friday, May 9, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 89 (Friday, May 9, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 19782]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-08199]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Number FRA-2025-0059]
Notice of Petition for Waiver of Compliance
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This document provides the public notice that the Association
of American Railroads (AAR) petitioned FRA for relief from certain
regulations concerning track inspections.
DATES: FRA must receive comments on the petition by June 9, 2025. FRA
will consider comments received after that date to the extent
practicable.
ADDRESSES:
Comments: Comments related to this docket 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
docket number. 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.
Please see the Privacy Act heading in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section of this document for Privacy Act information related to any
submitted comments or materials.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and follow the
online instructions for accessing the docket.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yujiang Zhang, Staff Director, FRA
Track & Structures Division, telephone: 202-493-6460, email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#037a76696a626d642d796b626d6443676c772d646c75"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="770e021d1e161910590d1f1619103713180359101801">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under part 211 of title 49 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR), this document provides the public notice that by
letter received April 24, 2025, AAR, on behalf of its members,
petitioned FRA for a waiver of compliance from certain provisions of
the Federal railroad safety regulations contained at 49 CFR part 213
(Track Safety Standards). FRA assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-
2025-0059.
AAR seeks relief from Sec. 213.233(b) and (c), Visual track
inspections, which specifies the method and frequency in which
railroads must conduct visual track inspections. AAR requests that its
members instead be permitted to use a combination of track geometry
measurement system (TGMS) and visual track inspection methods, which
AAR states ``will result in earlier detection and remediation of track
defects, reduce visual inspections that are a potential source of
injury, and improve operational efficiency.'' Further, AAR believes
that the relief would allow railroads to build on their existing
successful TGMS programs and provide FRA additional data for use in
possible future regulations. In support of its request, AAR also cites
that automated track inspection technologies enable earlier detection
of track defects and preventative maintenance practices, rather than
reactive operations.
FRA notes that other non-AAR member railroads, including New Jersey
Transit (NJT) (Docket Number FRA-2003-15196), the Southeastern
Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) (Docket Number FRA-1999-
5102), and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) (Docket Number RST-74-
1),\1\ have previously received conditional waivers from certain visual
track inspection requirements through use of TGMS.\2\ FRA is providing
notice that concurrently with consideration of AAR's request, FRA may
consider the utility of aligning these previous grants of relief with
any grant of relief that may result in this docket.
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\1\ 41 FR 15360 (Apr. 12, 1976).
\2\ The relief issued to both NJT and SEPTA has expired and
LIRR's relief remains in effect.
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A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications
concerning the petition, is 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. FRA does not anticipate
scheduling a public hearing in connection with these proceedings since
the facts do not appear to warrant a hearing. If any interested party
desires an opportunity for oral comment and a public hearing, they
should notify FRA, in writing, before the end of the comment period and
specify the basis for their request.
Communications received by June 9, 2025 will be considered by FRA
before final action is taken. Comments received after that date will be
considered if practicable.
Privacy Act
Anyone can search the electronic form of any written communications
and comments received into any of FRA's 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 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. 2025-08199 Filed 5-8-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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