
[Federal Register: April 16, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 73)]
[Notices]               
[Page 20036]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16ap10-152]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

 
Petition for Waiver of Compliance

    In accordance with Part 211 of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR), notice is hereby given that the Federal Railroad Administration 
(FRA) received a request for a waiver of compliance with certain 
requirements of its safety standards. The individual petition is 
described below, including the party seeking relief, the regulatory 
provisions involved, the nature of the relief being requested, and the 
petitioner's arguments in favor of relief.

Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District

[Waiver Petition Docket Number FRA-2006-24562]

    The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) seeks 
approval to participate in a previously granted waiver of compliance 
with the requirements of the Passenger Equipment Safety Standards 
contained in 49 CFR 238.309(b)(3), Periodic brake equipment 
maintenance, which requires that brake equipment receive periodic 
maintenance at 736 days. The previously granted waiver was issued to 
the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation (METRA) 
and authorized METRA to extend the time period from 736 days between 
inspections to 1,840 days for 26 new bi-level electric passenger MU's.
    NICTD purchased 14 bi-level electric MU's that are equipped with 
identical braking systems as the 26 electric MU locomotives for which 
the relief was previously granted. The 14 NICTD cars are the subject of 
this waiver request. The 14 NICTD cars and the 26 METRA cars were built 
by Sumitomo Corporation of America/Nippon Sharyo and the air brake 
system was provided by Knorr Brake Corporation, Westminster, Maryland. 
NICTD explains in its petition that the brake application is 
transmitted electronically to each MU's Friction Brake Control Unit 
(FBCU). The FBCU then provides the requested brake application without 
drawing down brake pipe pressure. An Emergency Magnetic Valve is 
provided on each MU for an electronic emergency 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.
    All communications concerning these proceedings should identify the 
appropriate docket number (e.g., Waiver Petition Docket Number FRA-
2006-24562) and 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).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on April 12, 2010.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. 2010-8691 Filed 4-15-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P

