Notice2025-22369
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
December 9, 2025
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Railroad Administration
Abstract
This document provides the public notice that Canadian National Railway Company (CN) petitioned FRA for relief from certain regulations concerning multiple air-source braking technology.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 234 (Tuesday, December 9, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 234 (Tuesday, December 9, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57128-57129]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-22369]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Number FRA-2025-0590]
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 Canadian
National Railway Company (CN) petitioned FRA for relief from certain
regulations concerning multiple air-source braking technology.
DATES: FRA must receive comments on the petition by January 8, 2026.
FRA will consider comments received after that date to the extent
practicable.
ADDRESSES:
[[Page 57129]]
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: Steven Zuiderveen, Railroad Safety
Specialist, FRA Motive Power & Equipment Division, telephone: 202-493-
6337, email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2b585f4e5d4e4505515e424f4e595d4e4e456b4f445f054c445d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1162657467747f3f6b64787574636774747f51757e653f767e67">[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 dated August 13, 2025 CN petitioned FRA for a waiver of
compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad safety
regulations contained at 49 CFR part 232 (Brake System Safety Standards
for Freight and Other Non-Passenger Trains and Equipment; End-of-Train
Devices). FRA assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-2025-0590.\1\
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\1\ CN petitioned for a similar waiver in Docket Number FRA-
2021-0091. <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FRA-2021-0091/document">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FRA-2021-0091/document</a>.
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Specifically, CN seeks relief from Sec. 232.205(c)(1)(ii)(B), Air
Flow Method Test, which states that a ``train equipped with at least
one distributed power unit or air repeater unit providing a source of
brake pipe control air from two or more locations must not exceed a
combined flow of 90 cubic feet per minute (CFM).'' CN explains that
drastic temperature changes along a train's route may affect brake pipe
airflow, and the challenge can be mitigated by adding additional air
sources, which CN has been testing pursuant to a rule exemption by
Transport Canada. In the petition, CN reports that ``by adding air
sources to the train, the overall health of the brake system improves
notwithstanding that the combined airflow will exceed 90 CFM,'' and
therefore seeks to increase the maximum allowable combined brake pipe
air flow from 90 CFM to 160 CFM across three air sources. The change
would only apply to trains on the Sprague Subdivision (operated by CN)
and on the Chicago to Winnipeg corridor (operated by WCL in the U.S.
and CN in Canada), which totals about 18 trains on each route.
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 January 8, 2026 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. 2025-22369 Filed 12-8-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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