Notice2026-00395
Amtrak's Request To Amend Its Positive Train Control Safety Plan and Positive Train Control System
Primary source
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Published
January 13, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Railroad Administration
Abstract
This document provides the public with notice that on November 14, 2025, as supplemented on January 5, 2026, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) submitted a request for amendment (RFA) to one of its FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plans (PTCSP) and Type Approval. As this RFA involves a request for FRA's approval of proposed material modifications to an FRA-certified positive train control (PTC) system, FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on Amtrak's RFA.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 8 (Tuesday, January 13, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 13, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1372-1373]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00395]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Number FRA-2010-0029]
Amtrak's Request To Amend Its Positive Train Control Safety Plan
and 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 November
14, 2025, as supplemented on January 5, 2026, the National Railroad
Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) submitted a request for amendment (RFA)
to one of its FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plans (PTCSP)
and Type Approval. As this RFA involves a request for FRA's approval of
proposed material modifications to an FRA-certified positive train
control (PTC) system, FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public
comment on Amtrak's RFA.
DATES: FRA will consider comments received by February 2, 2026. 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-2010-0029. 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#92d5f3f0f7bcdcf7f3fed2f6fde6bcf5fde4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f7b0969592d9b992969bb7939883d9909881">[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 of the 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 or train control
system. Accordingly, this notice informs the public that, on November
14, 2025, as supplemented on January 5, 2026, Amtrak submitted an RFA
to its PTCSP and Type Approval for its Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement
System II (ACSES II). Amtrak seeks FRA's approval to deploy new PTC
system hardware and software to support system reliability
improvements, as further described in its RFA. That RFA is available in
Docket No. FRA-2010-0029.
Interested parties are invited to comment on Amtrak's RFA by
submitting written comments or data. During FRA's review of Amtrak'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 Sec. 236.1021, FRA maintains the authority to approve, approve
with conditions, or deny a railroad's RFA to its PTCSP at FRA's sole
discretion.
Privacy Act Notice
In accordance with Sec. 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
[[Page 1373]]
provide their name, or the name of their organization; however,
submission of names is 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. 2026-00395 Filed 1-12-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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