Notice2026-08310
Notice of Petition for Amendment to 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
April 29, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Railroad Administration
Abstract
This document provides the public notice that by letter received September 2, 2025, BNSF Railway (BNSF) petitioned FRA for an amendment from existing relief from certain regulations concerning calibration of air flow method (AFM) indicators.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 82 (Wednesday, April 29, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 82 (Wednesday, April 29, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 23149]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-08310]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Number FRA-2016-0086]
Notice of Petition for Amendment to 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 by letter
received September 2, 2025, BNSF Railway (BNSF) petitioned FRA for an
amendment from existing relief from certain regulations concerning
calibration of air flow method (AFM) indicators.
DATES: FRA must receive comments on the petition by June 29, 2026. FRA
will consider comments received after that date to the extent
practicable.
ADDRESSES:
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: Steve Zuiderveen, Railroad Safety
Specialist, FRA Motive Power & Equipment Division, telephone: 202-493-
6337, email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d5a6a1b0a3b0bbfbafa0bcb1b0a7a3b0b0bb95b1baa1fbb2baa3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="afdcdbcad9cac181d5dac6cbcaddd9cacac1efcbc0db81c8c0d9">[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 received September 2, 2025, BNSF petitioned FRA to amend a
waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad
safety regulations contained at 49 CFR parts 229 (Railroad Locomotive
Safety Standards) and 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-2016-0086.
Specifically, BNSF seeks to amend the relief granted in this docket
from Sec. 229.29(b), Air brake system calibration, maintenance, and
testing and Sec. 232.205(c)(1)(iii), Class I brake test--initial
terminal inspection. The existing relief allows participating railroads
to test extending the AFM test intervals from 92 days to 184 days on
locomotives equipped with the New York Air Brake (NYAB) CCB-II and
Fastbrake air brake systems. BNSF requests to further extend the test
intervals from 184 days to 368 days. In its petition, BNSF states its
support for the codification of the evaluation and test waiver program.
BNSF adds that the waiver has reduced risk exposures to craftspeople,
standardized calibration processes, improved training, and enhanced air
system reliability on locomotives.
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 June 29, 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. 2026-08310 Filed 4-28-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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