
[Federal Register: May 12, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 92)]
[Notices]               
[Page 27022-27023]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12my08-70]                         

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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) has received a request for a waiver of compliance from 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.

Twin Cities and Western Railroad

(Docket Number FRA-2006-26093)

    The Twin Cities and Western Railroad (TC&W) seeks to amend its 
current waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Railroad 
Safety Appliance Standards, 49 CFR Part 231, and the Railroad Power 
Brakes and Drawbars Regulations, 49 CFR Part 232, concerning 
RailRunner[reg] train operations over their system. Specifically, TC&W 
requests authority to operate RailRunner[reg] equipment behind mixed 
freight conventional railcars and behind Trailer On Flat Car/Container 
On Flat Car (TOFC/COFC) intermodal trains.
    The current waiver to operate RailRunner[reg] equipment was granted 
to TC&W on March 15, 2007. Since the granting of the existing waiver, 
there have been no accidents, incidents, or injury to personnel 
reported to the FRA involving TC&W operating RailRunner[reg] equipment. 
For conventional mixed freight trains, TC&W will restrict 
RailRunner[reg] units per train to a maximum of 50 with a maximum 
trailing tonnage of 1,500 tons. For TOFC/COFC trains, TC&W will 
restrict RailRunner[reg] units per train to a maximum of 50 with a 
maximum trailing tonnage of 1,000 tons.
    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-
2006-26093) 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

[[Page 27023]]

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 May 6, 2008.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. E8-10475 Filed 5-9-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
