[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 218 (Monday, November 10, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 66689]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26729]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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-2008-0010

Applicant: Northwestern Pacific Railroad Company, Mr. John H. Williams, 
President, 385 Sherman Avenue, Suite 1, Palo Alto, California 94306-
1840.

    The Northwestern Pacific Railroad Company (NWP) seeks informal 
reconsideration of FRA's decision for denial of the proposed 
discontinuance and removal of the interlocking signal systems on three 
drawbridges that are located between a point near Lombard, California, 
at Milepost (MP) 63.4 and a point near Petaluma, California, at MP 38.5 
on the NWP's Russian River Division at the following three locations: 
Brazos Drawbridge, MP 64.7; Black Point Drawbridge, MP 28.7; and 
Haystack Landing Drawbridge, MP 37.2.
    The reasons given for the reconsideration are: the addition of 
concurrence of the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART), 
clarification that SMART does not have plans to operate passenger 
trains over either the Brazos Drawbridge or the Black Point Drawbridge, 
and the fact that SMART has plans to replace the Haystack Landing 
Bridge as part of the passenger rail project with a modern lift bridge 
with interlocking signal protection before any passenger trains operate 
over it.
    Any interested party desiring to protest the granting of an 
application shall set forth specifically the grounds upon which the 
protest is made, and include 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.
    FRA expects to be able to determine these matters without an oral 
hearing. However, if a specific request for an oral hearing is 
accompanied by a showing that the party is unable to adequately present 
his or her position by written statements, an application may be set 
for public hearing.
    All communications concerning this proceeding should be identified 
by Docket Number FRA-2008-0010 and may be submitted by one of the 
following methods:
     Web site: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments on the DOT electronic site;
     Fax: 202-493-2251;
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building Ground 
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590; or
     Hand Delivery: Room W12-140 of the U.S. Department of 
Transportation West Building Ground Floor, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 
Washington, DC, 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.
    FRA wishes to inform all potential commenters that anyone is able 
to search the electronic form of all 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).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 3, 2008.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. E8-26729 Filed 11-7-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P