
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 237 (Thursday, December 10, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76737-76739]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-31048]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2015-0007-N-31]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces that the renewal Information Collection Requests 
(ICRs) abstracted below are being forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICRs describe the nature 
of the information collections and their expected burden. The Federal 
Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the 
following collections of information was published on September 23, 
2015.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 11, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Brogan, Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Safety, Safety Regulatory 
Analysis Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New 
Jersey Ave.

[[Page 76738]]

SE., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590 (Telephone: (202) 493-6292), or 
Ms. Kimberly Toone, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Office of 
Administration, Office of Information Technology, RAD-20, Federal 
Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 35, 
Washington, DC 20590 (Telephone: (202) 493-6132). (These telephone 
numbers are not toll-free.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
Public Law 104-13, sec. 2, 109 Stat. 163 (1995) (codified as revised at 
44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), and its implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 
1320, require Federal agencies to issue two notices seeking public 
comment on information collection activities before OMB may approve 
paperwork packages. 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.5, 1320.8(d)(1), 
and 1320.12. On September 23, 2015, FRA published a 60-day notice in 
the Federal Register soliciting comment on ICRs that the agency is 
seeking OMB approval. See 80 FR 57425. FRA received no comments in 
response to this notice.
    Before OMB decides whether to approve these proposed collections of 
information, it must provide 30 days for public comment. 44 U.S.C. 
3507(b); 5 CFR 1320.12(d). Federal law requires OMB to approve or 
disapprove paperwork packages between 30 and 60 days after the 30 day 
notice is published. 44 U.S.C. 3507 (b)-(c); 5 CFR 1320.12(d); see also 
60 FR 44978, 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes that the 30 day notice 
informs the regulated community to file relevant comments and affords 
the agency adequate time to digest public comments before it renders a 
decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. Therefore, respondents should 
submit their respective comments to OMB within 30 days of publication 
to best ensure having their full effect. 5 CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60 
FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995.
    The summaries below describe the nature of the information 
collection requests (ICRs) and their expected burdens. The renewal 
requests are being submitted for clearance by OMB as required by the 
PRA.
    Title: State Safety Participation Regulations and Remedial Actions.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0509.
    Abstract: The collection of information is set forth under 49 CFR 
part 212, and requires qualified state inspectors to provide various 
reports to FRA for monitoring and enforcement purposes concerning state 
investigative, inspection, and surveillance activities regarding 
railroad compliance with Federal railroad safety laws and regulations. 
Additionally, railroads are required to report to FRA actions taken to 
remedy certain alleged violations of law.
    Type of Request: Extension with change of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses (Railroads).
    Form(s): N/A.
    Total Annual Estimated Responses: 22,352.
    Total Annual Estimated Burden: 9,240 hours.

    Title: Use of Locomotive Horns at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0560.
    Abstract: Under Title 49 part 222 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations, FRA seeks to collect information from railroads and public 
authorities in order to increase safety at highway-rail grade crossings 
nationwide by requiring that locomotive horns be sounded when trains 
approach and pass through these crossings or by ensuring that a safety 
level at least equivalent to that provided by blowing locomotive horns 
exists for corridors in which horns are silenced. FRA reviews 
applications by public authorities intending to establish new or, in 
some cases, continue pre-rule quiet zones to ensure the necessary level 
of safety is achieved.
    Type of Request: Extension with change of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Total Annual Estimated Responses: 4,001.
    Total Annual Estimated Burden: 9,176 hours.
    Title: Safety Appliance Concern Recommendation Report; Safety 
Appliance Standards Checklist Forms.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0565.
    Abstract: Sample car/locomotive inspections are performed as a 
courtesy to the car manufacturers to ensure that the equipment is built 
in accordance with all applicable Federal regulations and requirements. 
Car builders that desire to have FRA review their equipment for 
compliance with safety standards are to submit their safety appliance 
arrangement drawings, prints, etc., to the FRA Office of Safety 
Assurance and Compliance for review at least 60 days prior to 
construction. The sample car inspection program is designed to provide 
assurance that rolling stock equipment is compliant within the Code of 
Federal Regulations for use on the general railroad system. Although a 
sample car inspection is not required, most builders today request FRA 
to perform the inspection. The goal of the sample car inspection 
program is to reduce risk to railroad employees and improve passenger 
safety for the general public by ensuring rolling stock is fully 
compliant with all applicable regulations.
    In an ongoing effort to conduct more thorough and more effective 
inspections of freight railroad equipment and to further enhance safe 
rail operations, FRA has developed a safety concern recommendation 
report form and a group of guidance checklist forms that facilitate 
railroad, rail car owner, and rail equipment manufacturer compliance 
with agency Railroad Safety Appliance Standards regulations. FRA will 
be obsoleting Forms FRA F 6180.4(a)-(q) and requesting OMB discontinue 
its current approval for these forms. FRA will be replacing these forms 
with new Forms FRA F 6180.161(a)-(k). The reason for the discontinuance 
of the previously approved forms and request for OMB approval of the 
new forms is due to the fact that 49 CFR part 231 is being supplemented 
and expanded to cover new types of cars. For these new types of cars, 
FRA will be following the Standard established by the Association of 
American Railroads (AAR) Standard 2044 or S-2044.
    When a request for sample car inspection incoming letter is 
provided by the customer, an abundant amount of information is 
submitted to FRA for review that may require a formal on-site 
inspection. The information contained in the letter includes several 
paragraphs to explain the cited Code of Federal Regulations that the 
customer believes related to the construction of the car. Since many 
cars today are considered a car of special construction, the type of 
car to be reviewed, many times the amount of details of information are 
supplied to support why the customer believes the car submitted is the 
nearest car to construction. An abundance of factors with justification 
to support the car type is included in the request. Some examples would 
be a Logo, Company Name, and signature block, specific drawings, 
reflectorization, engineering information such as test or modeling of 
components. Also, the request may include car reporting marks, the 
amount of cars that would be constructed in the car series. In 
addition, the request would provide the location of the inspection, 
contact person, title, and contact information. Currently, each request 
is written differently, but contains most of the information to process 
the request to completion.
    The FRA region responsible for the sample car field sample car 
inspection

[[Page 76739]]

is obliged to formally inspect the car for compliance. All the 
information in the customer request is forwarded to the region for 
review. Once the inspection is completed, the assigned inspector 
provides his report in a memorandum to the Motive, Power, and Equipment 
(MP&E) Specialist. The MP&E Specialist reviews the documents and 
provides a memo to the Regional Administrator who sends a response by 
memorandum to FRA Headquarters of the finding from the field 
inspection.
    FRA Headquarters is responsible for gathering all the information 
from the request from the customer as well as assigning and forwarding 
the information to the Region. All the information is reviewed by the 
MP&E Specialist at Headquarters. The MP&E Specialist prepares a grid 
letter response for the MP&E Staff Director who then offers the 
response letter to the Director, Office of Safety Assurance and 
Compliance. The formal response letter is then sent to the customer 
through the Control Correspondence Management (CCM) system.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses (Railroads).
    Form(s): New Forms FRA F 6180.161(a)-(k).
    Total Annual Estimated Responses: 121.
    Total Annual Estimated Burden: 121 hours.
    Title: FRA Safety Advisory 2015-03, Operational and Signal 
Modifications for Compliance with Maximum Authorized Passenger Train 
Speeds and Other Restrictions.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0613.
    Abstract: FRA issued Safety Advisory 2015-03 on June 12, 2015 (see 
80 FR 33585) to stress to passenger railroads and railroads that host 
passenger service and their employees the importance of compliance with 
Federal regulations and applicable railroad rules governing applicable 
passenger train speed limits. This safety advisory makes 
recommendations to these railroads to ensure that compliance with 
applicable passenger train speed limits is addressed by appropriate 
railroad operating policies and procedures and signal systems.
    Type of Request: Regular Clearance without change of a currently 
approved Emergency Clearance.
    Affected Public: Businesses (Railroads).
    Form(s): N/A.
    Total Annual Estimated Responses: 5,880.
    Total Annual Estimated Burden: 2,217 hours.
    Addressee: Send comments regarding these information collections to 
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management 
and Budget, 725 Seventeenth Street NW., Washington, DC, 20503, 
Attention: FRA Desk Officer. Comments may also be sent via email to OMB 
at the following address: oira_submissions@omb.eop.gov.
    Comments are invited on the following: Whether the proposed 
collections of information are necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Department, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimates of 
the burden of the proposed information collections; ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
ways to minimize the burden of the collections of information on 
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    A comment to OMB is best assured of having its full effect if OMB 
receives it within 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register.

    Authority:  44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on December 4, 2015.
Corey Hill,
Acting Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 2015-31048 Filed 12-9-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-06-P


