[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 183 (Friday, September 24, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 53141]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20642]



[[Page 53141]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2010-0029]


National Railroad Passenger Corporation's Request To Amend Its 
Positive Train Control Safety Plan and Positive Train Control System

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This document provides the public with notice that the 
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) submitted a request 
for amendment (RFA) to its FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety 
Plan (PTCSP) on August 5, 2021. As this RFA may involve a request for 
FRA's approval of proposed material modifications to an FRA-certified 
positive train control (PTC) system, FRA is publishing this notice and 
inviting public comment on the railroad's RFA to its PTCSP.

DATES: FRA will consider comments received by October 14, 2021. FRA may 
consider comments received after that date to the extent practicable 
and without delaying implementation of valuable or necessary 
modifications to a PTC system.

ADDRESSES: 
    Comments: Comments may be submitted by going to https://www.regulations.gov and following the online instructions for 
submitting comments.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and the 
applicable docket number. The relevant PTC docket number for this host 
railroad is Docket No. FRA-2010-0029. For convenience, all active PTC 
dockets are hyperlinked on FRA's website at https://railroads.dot.gov/train-control/ptc/ptc-annual-and-quarterly-reports. All comments 
received will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov; 
this includes any personal information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gabe Neal, Staff Director, Signal, 
Train Control, and Crossings Division, telephone: 816-516-7168, email: 
Gabe.Neal@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In general, Title 49 United States Code 
(U.S.C.) section 20157(h) requires FRA to certify that a host 
railroad's PTC system complies with 49 CFR part 236, subpart I, before 
the technology may be operated in revenue service. Before making 
certain changes to an FRA-certified PTC system or the associated FRA-
approved PTCSP, a host railroad must submit, and obtain FRA's approval 
of, an RFA to its PTCSP under Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR) Section 236.1021.
    Under 49 CFR 236.1021(e), FRA's regulations provide that FRA will 
publish a notice in the Federal Register and invite public comment in 
accordance with 49 CFR part 211, if an RFA includes a request for 
approval of a material modification of a signal and train control 
system. Accordingly, this notice informs the public that on August 5, 
2021, Amtrak submitted an RFA to its PTCSP for its Advanced Civil Speed 
Enforcement System II (ACSES II) and that RFA is available in Docket 
No. FRA-2010-0029.
    Interested parties are invited to comment on Amtrak's RFA to its 
PTCSP by submitting written comments or data. During FRA's review of 
Amtrak's RFA, FRA will consider any comments or data submitted within 
the timeline specified in this notice and to the extent practicable, 
without delaying implementation of valuable or necessary modifications 
to a PTC system. See 49 CFR 236.1021; see also 49 CFR 236.1011(e). 
Under 49 CFR 236.1021, FRA maintains the authority to approve, approve 
with conditions, or deny a railroad's RFA to its PTCSP at FRA's sole 
discretion.

Privacy Act Notice

    In accordance with 49 CFR 211.3, FRA solicits comments from the 
public to better inform its decisions. DOT posts these comments, 
without edit, including any personal information the commenter 
provides, to https://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 https://www.regulations.gov/privacy-notice for the privacy notice of regulations.gov. To facilitate 
comment tracking, we encourage commenters to provide their name, or the 
name of their organization; however, submission of names is completely 
optional. If you wish to provide comments containing proprietary or 
confidential information, please contact FRA for alternate submission 
instructions.

    Issued in Washington, DC.
Carolyn R. Hayward-Williams,
Director, Office of Railroad Systems and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2021-20642 Filed 9-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P


