[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 108 (Thursday, June 4, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34488-34489]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12009]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2003-15010]


Petition for Waiver of Compliance

    Under part 211 of title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), this 
document provides the public notice that on May 19, 2020, Canadian 
Pacific Railway Company (CP) petitioned the Federal Railroad 
Administration (FRA) to modify a waiver of compliance from certain 
provisions of the Federal railroad safety regulations contained at 49 
CFR part 241, United States Locational Requirement for Dispatching of 
United States Rail Operations. FRA assigned the petition Docket Number 
FRA-2003-15010.
    Specifically, CP requests relief from 49 CFR 241.7(c), Fringe 
border dispatching, which would allow Canadian dispatching from CP's 
Operations Center located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (CP Calgary OC) 
for the recently acquired Central Maine and Qu[eacute]bec Railway 
(CMQR) track segments on the Newport Subdivision within the U.S. The 
Newport Subdivision starts near Brookport, Quebec, Canada, and ends 
near Newport, Vermont, U.S., crossing the U.S./Canada border at three 
separate locations. In Canada, the Newport Subdivision connects to 
CMQR's Adirondack and Sherbrooke Subdivisions in Brookport, Quebec, 
Canada. This relief would apply to two track segments totaling 23.44 
miles of the CMQR Newport Subdivision within the U.S.
    In support of its petition, CP states that all trains operated in 
the U.S. will be under the control of a single crew, barring unforeseen 
circumstances, and that dispatching will be provided by train 
dispatchers that are bilingual in French and English to allow train 
crews to communicate with dispatchers in their primary language. CP 
also explains that dispatching will be transferred to a U.S. carrier at 
the point or yard where the interchange takes place. It further states 
that allowing the U.S. track segments of the Newport Subdivision to be 
under the control of the same operations center would allow for 
consistent procedures and oversight for the involved crews and train 
operations.
    A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications 
concerning the petition, is available for review online at 
www.regulations.gov and in person at the U.S. Department of 
Transportation's (DOT) Docket Operations Facility, 1200 New Jersey Ave. 
SE, W12-140, Washington, DC 20590. The Docket Operations Facility is 
open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
Holidays.
    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 parties 
desire 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.
    All communications concerning these proceedings should identify the 
appropriate docket number and may be submitted by any of the following 
methods:
     Website: 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 Ave. SE, W12-140, Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal Holidays.
    Communications received by July 20, 2020 will be considered by FRA 
before final action is taken. Comments received after that date will be 
considered if practicable.
    Anyone can 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 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 better 
inform its processes. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including 
any personal information the commenter provides, to 
www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records notice (DOT/
ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at https://www.transportation.gov/privacy. See also https://www.regulations.gov/privacyNotice for the 
privacy notice of regulations.gov.


[[Page 34489]]


    Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-12009 Filed 6-3-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-06-P


