[Federal Register: May 12, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 92)]
[Notices]
[Page 27021-27022]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12my08-68]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or
Modification of a Railroad Signal System or Relief From the
Requirements of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 236
Pursuant to Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 235 and
49 U.S.C. 20502(a), the following railroad has petitioned the Federal
Railroad Administration (FRA) seeking approval for the discontinuance
or modification of the signal system or relief from the requirements of
49 CFR part 236 as detailed below.
Docket Number FRA-2008-0051
Applicant: Utah Transit Authority, Ms. Jennifer Rigby, General
Counsel, 3600 South 700 West, P.O. Box 30810, Salt Lake City, Utah
84130.
The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) seeks relief from the requirements
of the Rules, Standards, and Instructions, 49 CFR part 236, Section
236.513(a), Audible indicator, for its planned commuter rail system
``FrontRunner,'' to the extent that UTA be permitted to utilize a cab
signal system that does not contain any onboard acknowledgment device
beyond the acknowledgment received from movement of brake control(s).
The location of the request is the entire current and planned
FrontRunner system. Phase one will be approximately 44 miles between
Pleasant View, in Weber County, and Salt Lake City, Utah.
Applicant's justification for relief:
(1) The installed cab signal system enforces the speed limit of the
detected cab signal by first warning of, and if no action is taken,
then immediately requesting an irrevocable penalty brake application
when the vehicle speed is detected as being at or over the speed limit
plus a pre-determined buffer.
(2) In the case of a cab signal aspect downgrade and the vehicle
speed is above the new downgrade speed limit, the operator must,
through his action, bring the vehicle speed to the new speed limit in
accordance with prescribed parameters of the FrontRunner Timetable. If
the operator fails to act accordingly to reduce the train's speed to
the required limit, an alarm sounds continuously to warn of a pending
penalty brake application. If there is no or insufficient action taken
by the train operator to reduce the speed to the acceptable threshold
within 4 seconds, an irrevocable penalty brake application is applied.
(3) In the case of a cab signal aspect downgrade and the vehicle
speed is already below the new downgrade speed limit, the operator is
only required to keep the vehicle speed below the new speed limit. In
either case, the cab signal system sounds a momentary audible alarm to
indicate that the cab signal aspect has changed. If there is no or
insufficient action taken by the train operator to reduce the speed to
the acceptable threshold within 4 seconds, an irrevocable penalty brake
application is applied.
(4) In the case of no cab signal downgrade but the vehicle speed
increases to a value above the speed limit plus the pre-determined
buffer, the cab signal system requests an immediate, irrevocable,
penalty brake application.
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, they should notify FRA, in
writing, before the end of the comment period and specify the basis for
their request.
Any interested party desiring to protest the granting of an
application shall set forth specifically the grounds upon which the
protest is made, and it shall contain a concise statement of the
interest of the party in the proceeding. Additionally, one copy of the
protest shall be furnished to the applicant at the address listed
above.
All communications concerning these proceedings should be
identified by Docket Number FRA-2008-0051and may be submitted by any of
the following methods:
Web site: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
Fax: 202-493-2251.
Mail: Docket Operations Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., W12-140, Washington, DC
20590.
Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Room W12-140,
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal Holidays.
Communications received within 45 days of the date of this notice
will be considered by FRA before final action is taken. Comments
received after that date will be considered as far as practicable. All
written communications concerning these proceedings are available for
examination during regular business hours (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) at the above
facility. All documents in the public docket are also available for
inspection and copying on the Internet at the docket facility's Web
site at http://www.regulations.gov.
Anyone is able to search the electronic form of any written
communications and comments received into any of our dockets by the
name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment,
if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.).
You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal
Register published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages
19477-78).
[[Page 27022]]
Issued in Washington, DC on May 6, 2008.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program
Development.
[FR Doc. E8-10478 Filed 5-9-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P