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Notice2026-11516

Notice of Petition for Extension of 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
June 9, 2026

Issuing agencies

Transportation DepartmentFederal Railroad Administration

Abstract

This document provides the public notice that St. Mary's Railway West (SMW), petitioned FRA to extend relief related to its participation in FRA's Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C\3\RS) Program.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 110 (Tuesday, June 9, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 110 (Tuesday, June 9, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34887-34888]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-11516]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2021-0079]


Notice of Petition for Extension of 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 St. Mary's 
Railway West (SMW), petitioned FRA to extend relief related to its 
participation in FRA's Confidential Close Call Reporting System 
(C\3\RS) Program.

DATES: FRA must receive comments on the petition by August 10, 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: Ronald O. Simpson, Railroad Safety 
Specialist, FRA Safety Partnerships Division, telephone: 314-202-2971, 
email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#93e1fcfdf2fff7bdfcbde0fafee3e0fcfdd3f7fce7bdf4fce5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c5b7aaaba4a9a1ebaaebb6aca8b5b6aaab85a1aab1eba2aab3">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under part 211 of title 49 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR), this document

[[Page 34888]]

provides the public notice that by letter dated April 7, 2026, SMW 
petitioned FRA for an extension of a waiver of compliance from certain 
provisions of the Federal railroad safety regulations contained at 49 
CFR part 240 (Qualification and Certification of Locomotive Engineers) 
and part 242 (Qualification and Certification of Conductors). FRA 
assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-2021-0079.
    Specifically, SMW requests an extension of the relief required to 
continue its participation in FRA's C\3\RS Program. SMW seeks to 
continue shielding reporting employees from mandatory punitive 
sanctions that would otherwise arise as provided in Sec. Sec.  
240.117(e)(1)-(4); 240.305(a)(1)-(4) and (a)(6); 240.307; 242.403(b), 
(c), (e)(1)-(4), (e)(6)-(11), (f)(1)-(2); and 242.407. The C\3\RS 
Program encourages certified operating crew members to report close 
calls and protects the employees and the railroad from discipline or 
sanctions arising from the incidents reported per the C\3\RS 
Implementing Memorandum of Understanding (IMOU).
    In support of its request, SMW states that it continues to support 
the C\3\RS Program's safety objectives, including ``confidential 
reporting, identification of hazards and operation risks, and 
implementation of corrective measures designed to improve safety 
performance.''
    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 August 10, 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. 2026-11516 Filed 6-8-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P


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Indexed from Federal Register on June 9, 2026.

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