Notice2026-01853
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 4165-4166]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-01853]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2026-0035]
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-
2026-0035. All comments received will be posted without change to the
docket, including any personal information provided. Please refer to
the assigned OMB control number (2130-0519) 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#9cf6f3fdf2f2f9b2efebfdfafaf3eef8dcf8f3e8b2fbf3ea"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f69c9997989893d88581979090998492b6929982d8919980">[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: Bad Order and Home Shop Card and Stenciling Mark.
OMB Control Number: 2130-0519.
Abstract: Under 49 CFR part 215, railroads are required to inspect
freight cars placed in service and take remedial action when defects
are identified. A railroad freight car with a part 215 defect may be
moved to another location for repair only after the railroad has
complied with the process under 49 CFR 215.9. Section 215.9 requires
railroads to affix a ``bad order'' tag (or card) describing each defect
to each side of the freight car. It is imperative that a defective
freight car be tagged ``bad order'' (or ``home shop for repairs'') so
it can be readily identified and moved to another location for repair
purposes only, and so that the maximum speed and other restrictions
necessary for safely conducting the movement are known. At the repair
location, the ``bad order'' tag serves as a notification of the
defective condition of the freight car. Railroads must retain each tag
for 90 days to verify that proper repairs were made at the designated
location. When inspecting freight cars, FRA and State inspectors review
all pertinent records to determine railroads' compliance with the
movement restrictions of Sec. 215.9.
In addition, Sec. 215.301 requires railroads and private car
owners to stencil or otherwise display identification marks on freight
cars, including a car number and build date. FRA uses the
identification marks to help obtain certain information related to a
car's compliance with Federal
[[Page 4166]]
safety requirements. The marks are used consistently across railroad
records to identify the car and show: the type of car, what it is
carrying, its movement history, and current maintenance schedule. Using
the marks to identify the car helps FRA determine the application of
Federal safety requirements to that car and who is responsible for
compliance. FRA also uses this information to determine if the freight
car qualifies for dedicated service and is excluded from the
requirements of part 215. Railroads use the required information to
provide identification and control so that dedicated cars remain in the
prescribed service.
In this 60-day notice, FRA made no changes to the previously
approved burden or responses.
Type of Request: Extension without change of a currently approved
collection.
Affected Public: Businesses.
Form(s): N/A.
Respondent Universe: 754 railroads.
Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
Reporting Burden
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Average
Respondent time per Total annual Wage rates Total cost equivalent
CFR section universe Total annual responses response burden hours \1\ U.S.D.
(railroads) (minutes)
............ (A)......................... (B) (C = A * B) ........... (D = C * wage rates
\2\)
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215.9 Movement of Defective Cars for Repair
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--(a)(2) Tagging of defective cars........ 754 150,000 Tags................ 5 12,500 $73.41 $917,625
--(b)(3) Notifications of removal of 754 75,000 notifications........ 2 2,500 73.41 183,525
defective car tags.
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215.11 Designated Inspectors
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--(c) Records of designated inspectors.... 754 30,000 records.............. 1 500 73.41 36,705
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215.301 General (Subpart D, Stenciling)
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--Stenciling.............................. 754 30,000 stencils............. 45 22,500 73.41 1,651,725
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Total................................. 754 285,000 responses........... .......... 38,000 ........... 2,789,580
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\1\ Surface Transportation Board (STB), Quarterly Wage Form A&B Data (2024). Compiled from Class I railroad data reported on Wage Form A&B for year
2024. Calculated as: Wage ($/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>.
\2\ The employee groups used to calculate hourly wage rates are Group 400 (Maintenance of Equipment & Stores): $72.01 (41.15 x overhead of 1.75), and
Group 600 (Transportation, Train, and Engine): $79.02 ($45.16 x overhead of 1.75). Time spent by these groups on the respective paperwork requirements
are Group 400: 80%, and Group 600: 20%. This results in a combined wage rate of $73.41 ($72.01 x 0.8 + $79.02 x 0.2 = $57.61 + $15.80 = $73.41).
Total Estimated Annual Responses: 285,000.
Total Estimated Annual Burden: 38,000 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent:
$2,789,580.
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. 2026-01853 Filed 1-29-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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