Notice2026-02018
Brightline Florida and Florida East Coast Railway's Joint Request To Amend Their Positive Train Control Safety Plans and Positive Train Control Systems
Primary source
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Published
February 2, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Railroad Administration
Abstract
This document provides the public with notice that on January 21, 2026, Brightline Florida (BLF) and Florida East Coast Railway (FECR) submitted a joint request for amendment (RFA) to their FRA- approved Positive Train Control Safety Plans (PTCSP) to implement a software update, Interoperable Electronic Train Management Systems (I- ETMS) Protect 77.0.4.0, to FECR and BLF'S locomotive fleets, corrections to the PTCSP and updates to line segment names. As this joint RFA may involve requests for FRA's approval of proposed material modifications to FRA-certified positive train control (PTC) systems, FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on BLF and FECR's joint RFA to their PTCSPs.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 21 (Monday, February 2, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 21 (Monday, February 2, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4783-4784]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-02018]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Nos. FRA-2015-0062, FRA-2022-0098]
Brightline Florida and Florida East Coast Railway's Joint Request
To Amend Their Positive Train Control Safety Plans and Positive Train
Control Systems
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 January
21, 2026, Brightline Florida (BLF) and Florida East Coast Railway
(FECR) submitted a joint request for amendment (RFA) to their FRA-
approved Positive Train Control Safety Plans (PTCSP) to implement a
software update, Interoperable Electronic Train Management Systems (I-
ETMS) Protect 77.0.4.0, to FECR and BLF'S locomotive fleets,
corrections to the PTCSP and updates to line segment names. As this
joint RFA may involve requests for FRA's approval of proposed material
modifications to FRA-certified positive train control (PTC) systems,
FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on BLF and
FECR's joint RFA to their PTCSPs.
DATES: FRA will consider comments received by February 23, 2026. FRA
may consider comments received after that date to the extent
practicable and without delaying implementation of valuable or
necessary modifications to PTC systems.
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 numbers for the host
railroads that filed a joint RFA to their PTCSPs are cited above and in
the Supplementary Information section of this notice. 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#4a0d2b282f64042f2b260a2e253e642d253c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4a0d2b282f64042f2b260a2e253e642d253c">[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 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 January
21, 2026, BLF and FECR jointly submitted an RFA to their respective
PTCSPs seeking FRA's approval to implement I-ETMS Protect 77.0.4.0
software to improve system performance, as well as corrections to the
PTCSP and updates to line segment names. Their joint RFA is available
in Docket Numbers FRA-2015-0062 and FRA-2022-0098.
Interested parties are invited to comment on BLF and FECR's joint
RFA by submitting written comments or data. During FRA's review of
these railroads' joint RFA, FRA will consider any
[[Page 4784]]
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 PTC systems. See 49 CFR
236.1021; see also 49 CFR 236.1011(e). Under 49 CFR 236.1021, FRA
maintains the authority to approve, approve with conditions, or deny
these railroads' joint RFA to their PTCSPs at FRA's sole discretion.
Privacy Act Notice
In accordance with 49 CFR 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 provide their name, or the
name of their organization; however, submission of names is completely
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. 2026-02018 Filed 1-30-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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