Notice2026-01852
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
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
January 30, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Railroad Administration
Abstract
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information Collection Request (ICR) summarized below. Before submitting this ICR to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified in the ICR.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 20 (Friday, January 30, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 20 (Friday, January 30, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4164-4165]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-01852]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2026-0034]
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment
Request
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its
implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information
Collection Request (ICR) summarized below. Before submitting this ICR
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is
soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities
identified in the ICR.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
March 31, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR
should be submitted on <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> to Docket No. FRA-
2026-0034. All comments received will be posted without change to the
docket, including any personal information provided. Please refer to
the assigned OMB control number (2130-0516) in any correspondence
submitted. FRA will summarize comments received in response to this
notice in a subsequent notice, made available to the public, and
include them in its information collection submission to OMB for
approval.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Joanne Swafford, Information
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a0cacfc1cecec58ed3d7c1c6c6cfd2c4e0c4cfd48ec7cfd6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bad0d5dbd4d4df94c9cddbdcdcd5c8defaded5ce94ddd5cc">[email protected]</span></a> or
telephone: (757) 897-9908.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, and its
implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to
provide 60 days' notice to the public to allow comment on information
collection activities before seeking OMB approval of the activities.
See 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. Specifically,
FRA invites interested parties to comment on the following ICR
regarding: (1) whether the information collection activities are
necessary for FRA to properly execute its functions, including whether
the activities will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of FRA's
estimates of the burden of the information collection activities,
including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used to
determine the estimates; (3) ways for FRA to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and (4) ways
for FRA to minimize the burden of information collection activities on
the public, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology. See 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5
CFR 1320.8(d)(1).
FRA believes that soliciting public comment may reduce the
administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection of
information that Federal regulations mandate. In summary, comments
received will advance three objectives: (1) reduce reporting burdens;
(2) organize information collection requirements in a ``user-friendly''
format to improve the use of such information; and (3) accurately
assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce information
requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.
The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB
clearance as the PRA requires:
Title: Remotely Controlled Switch Operations.
OMB Control Number: 2130-0516.
Abstract: 49 CFR 218.30 and 218.77 require that remotely controlled
switches be properly lined to protect workers as they inspect or
service rolling equipment or occupied camp cars on track. These
sections require the operators of the remotely controlled switches to
remove the locking device controlling the switches only once they have
been informed by the person in charge of the workers that it is safe to
do so. In addition, these operators are required to maintain a record
of each protection request for 15 days. Operators of remotely
controlled switches use the information in this record to document
protection of workers or camp cars. This record also serves as a
valuable resource for railroad supervisors as well as FRA and State
inspectors monitoring regulatory compliance.
In this 60-day notice, FRA made an adjustment under Sec. 218.77,
which covers the protection of occupied camp cars. The number of
notifications annually has been reduced to reflect the infrequent usage
of these types of cars. All other information remains unchanged since
the last submission.
Type of Request: Extension without change (with changes in
estimates) of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Businesses.
Form(s): N/A.
Respondent Universe: 53 railroads.
Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
Reporting Burden
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Average
Respondent time per Total annual Wage rate Total cost equivalent
Section universe Total annual responses response burden hours \1\ in U.S.D.
(railroads) (seconds)
............ (A)......................... (B) (C = A * B) ........... (D = C * wage rates)
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218.30 Remotely Controlled Switches (Subpart B, Blue Signal Protection of Workers)
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--(c) Blue signal protection of workers... 53 1,837,775 notifications (53 45 22,972 $72.12 $1,656,740.64
x 95 responses per day x
365 days per year).
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218.77 Remotely Controlled Switches (Subpart E, Protection of Occupied Camp Cars)
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--(c) Protection of occupied camp cars.... 6 75 notifications............ 45 1 72.12 72.12
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Total................................. 53 1,837,850 responses......... .......... 22,973 ........... 1,656,812.76
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\1\ Surface Transportation Board (STB), Quarterly Wage Form A&B Data (2024). Compiled from Class I railroad data reported on Wage Form A&B for year
2024. Calculated as: Wage ($/hour) = sum of compensation for time worked and paid for straight time rates ($) for Class I railroads / sum of service
hours for time worked and paid for straight time rates (hours) for Class I railroads. Available: <a href="https://www.stb.gov/reports-data/economic-data/quarterly-wage-ab-data/">https://www.stb.gov/reports-data/economic-data/quarterly-wage-ab-data/</a>.
Total Estimated Annual Responses: 1,837,850.
Total Estimated Annual Burden: 22,973 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent:
$1,656,812.76.
FRA informs all interested parties that it may not conduct or
sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, a collection
of information that does not display a currently valid OMB control
number.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.
Christopher S. Van Nostrand,
Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2026-01852 Filed 1-29-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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