Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2015-0007-N-17]

Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and its implementing regulations, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) hereby announces that it is seeking renewal of the following currently approved information collection activities. Before submitting the information collection requests (ICRs) below for clearance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified below.

DATES:

Comments must be received no later than August 21, 2015.

ADDRESSES:

Submit written comments on any or all of the following proposed activities by mail to either: Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of Safety, Planning and Evaluation Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 17, Washington, DC 20590, or Ms. Kimberly Toone, Office of Information Technology, RAD-20, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590. Commenters requesting FRA to acknowledge receipt of their respective comments must include a self-addressed stamped postcard stating, “Comments on OMB control number 2130-__.” Alternatively, comments may be transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493-6216 or (202) 493-6497, or via email to Mr. Brogan at

Robert.Brogan@dot.gov

, or to Ms. Toone at

Kim.Toone@dot.gov.

Please refer to the assigned OMB control number in any correspondence submitted. FRA will summarize comments received in response to this notice in a subsequent notice and include them in its information collection submission to OMB for approval.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of Planning and Evaluation Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 17, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6292) or Ms. Kimberly Toone, 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 provide 60-days notice to the public for comment on information collection activities before seeking approval for reinstatement or renewal by OMB. 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), 1320.10(e)(1), 1320.12(a). Specifically, FRA invites interested respondents to comment on the following summary of proposed information collection activities regarding: (i) Whether the information collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly execute its functions, including whether the activities will have practical utility; (ii) the accuracy of FRA's estimates of the burden of the information collection activities, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used to determine the estimates; (iii) ways for FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and (iv) ways for FRA to minimize the burden of information collection activities on the public by automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology (

e.g.

, permitting electronic submission of responses).

See

44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)(i)-(iv); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1)(i)-(iv). FRA believes that soliciting public comment will promote its efforts to reduce the administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection of information mandated

by Federal regulations. In summary, FRA reasons that comments received will advance three objectives: (i) Reduce reporting burdens; (ii) ensure that it organizes information collection requirements in a “user friendly” format to improve the use of such information; and (iii) accurately assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce information requested.

See

44 U.S.C. 3501.

Below is a brief summary of currently approved information collection activities that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as required under the PRA:

Title:

Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards and Event Recorders.

OMB Control Number:

2130-0004.

Abstract:

The Locomotive Inspection requires railroads to inspect, repair, and maintain locomotives and event recorders so that they are safe, free of defects, and can be placed in service without peril to life. Crashworthy locomotive event recorders provide FRA with verifiable factual information about how trains are maintained and operated, and are used by FRA and State inspectors for part 229 rule enforcement. The information garnered from crashworthy event recorders is also used by railroads to monitor railroad operations and by railroad employees (locomotive engineers, train crews, dispatchers) to improve train handling, and promote the safe and efficient operation of trains throughout the country, based on a surer knowledge of different control inputs.

Form Number(s):

FRA F 6180.49A.

Affected Public:

Businesses.

Respondent Universe:

754 Railroads.

Frequency of Submission:

On occasion.

Reporting Burden:

CFR section

Respondent universe

Total annual responses

Average time per response

Total annual burden hours

229.9—Movement of Non-Complying Locomotives

44 Railroads

21,000 tags

1 minute

350

229.15—Remote control locomotive—tagging to indicate in remote control

44 Railroads

3,000 tags

2 minutes

100

—Repair record of defective OCU linked to remote control locomotive

44 Railroads

200 records

5 minutes

17

229.17—Accident Reports

44 Railroads

1 report

15 minutes

.25

229.20—Electronic Recordkeeping—Automatic notice to RR each time locomotive is due for inspection or maintenance

44 Railroads

21,000 notifications

1 second

6

29.21—Daily Inspection

754 Railroads

6,890,000 insp. reports/records

16 minutes or 18 minutes

1,911,780

—Written Reports of MU Locomotive Inspections

754 Railroads

250 written reports

13 minutes

54

Locomotive Inspection and Repair Record—Form FRA F 6180.49A

754 Railroads

4,000 forms

2 minutes

133

229.23—Periodic Inspections of Locomotives

754 Railroads

9,500 tests/forms

8 hours

76,000

—Secondary record of information on Form FRA F 6180.49A

754 Railroads

9,500 secondary records

2 minutes

317

—List of defects/repairs during inspection provided to RR employees + copies of lists

754 Railroads

4,000 lists + 4,000 copies

2 minutes + 2 minutes

266

—Document from railroad to employees of all tests conducted since last periodic inspection

754 Railroads

9,500 documents/records

2 minutes

317

229.33—Out of Use Credit for Locomotives

754 Railroads

500 out-of-use notations

5 minutes

42

Recordkeeping Requirements:

229.25—Periodic Inspection of Event Recorders: Written Copy of Instructions—Amendments

754 Railroads

200 amendments

15 minutes

50

—Data Verification Readout of Event Recorder

754 Railroads

4,025 readout records/reports

90 minutes

6,038

—Pre-Maintenance Test Failures of Event Recorder

754 Railroads

700 test failure notations

30 minutes

350

229.135—Removal of event recorder from service—Tags

754 Railroads

1,000 removal tags

1 minute

17

—Preserving Locomotive Event Recorder Accident Data—reports

754 Railroads

10,000 data reports

15 minutes

2,500

Other Requirements:

229.27—Annual tests of event recorders w/self-monitoring feature displaying a failure indication—tests

754 Railroads

700 tests/records

90 minutes

1,050

229.29—Calibration of Locomotive Air Flow Meter—Tests

754 Railroads

88,000 tests/records

15 seconds

367

229.46—Tagging locomotive with inoperative or ineffective automatic/independent brake that can only be used in trailing position

754 Railroads

2,100 tags

2 minutes

70

229.85—Marking of all doors, cover plates, or barriers having direct access to high voltage equipment with words “Danger High Voltage” or with word “Danger”

754 Railroads

1,000 re-paintings/decals

1 minute

17

229.123—Locomotives equipped with a pilot, snowplow, end plate with clearance above 6 inches—Marking/stenciling with words “9 inch Maximum End Plate Height, Yard or Trail Service Only”

754 Railroads

20 markings/stencils

2 minutes

1

—Notation in Remarks section of Form FRA F6180.49A of pilot, snowplow, or end plate clearance above 6 inches

754 Railroads

20 notations

2 minutes

1

229.135—Re-manufactured locomotives equipped with certified crash-worthy event recorder

754 Railroads

1,000 certified memory modules

2 hours

2,000

229.140—Alerters—Visual indication to locomotive operator at least 5 seconds before audio alarm—New Locomotives

754 Railroads

74,880,000 visual indications

4 seconds

83,200

SUBPART E

—229.303—Requests to FRA for on-track testing of products outside a facility

754 Railroads

20 requests

8 hours

160

—Identification of all products developed by Railroads and Vendors

754 Railroads

20 product identification documents

2 hours

40

229.307—Safety Analysis for each product subject to this Subpart

754 Railroads

300 safety analyses

240 hours

72,000

229.309—Safety critical changes to product subject to this Subpart—Notice to FRA

754 Railroads

10 notifications

16 hours

160

—Report by product suppliers and private owners to railroads of any safety-critical changes to product

3 Manufacturers

10 reports

8 hours

80

229.311—Railroad Notification to FRA of intent to place product subject to this Part in Service

754 Railroads

300 notifications

2 hours

600

—Railroad document provided to FRA upon request demonstrating product meets Safety Analysis requirements for life cycle of product

754 Railroads

300 documents

2 hours

600

—Railroad maintenance of data base of all safety relevant hazards encountered after product is placed in service

754 Railroads

300 databases

4 hours

1,200

—Written report to FRA disclosing frequency of safety relevant hazards for product exceeding threshold set forth in Safety Analysis

754 Railroads

10 written reports

2 hours

20

—Final Report to FRA on results of analyses and counter measures to reduce frequency of safety related hazards

754 Railroads

10 written final reports

4 hours

40

219.313—Product testing results and records

754 Railroads

120,000 product testing records

5 minutes

10,000

219.315—Railroad maintenance of Operations and Maintenance Manual containing all documents related to installation, maintenance, repair, modification, and testing of a product subject to this Part

754 Railroads

300 manuals

40 hours

12,000

—RR Configuration Management Control Plan

754 Railroads

300 plans

8 hours

2,400

—Positive ID of safety-critical components

754 Railroads

60,000 Identified components

5 minutes

5,000

229.317—RR Establishment and Implementation of Training Qualification program for products subject to this Subpart

754 Railroads

300 programs

40 hours

12,000

—Employees trained under RR program

754 Railroads

10,000 trained employees

30 minutes

5,000

—Periodic refresher training of employees

754 Railroads

1,000 re-trained employees

20 minutes

333

—RR regular and periodic evaluation of effectiveness of its training program

754 Railroads

300 evaluations

4 hours

1,200

—RR record of individuals designated as qualified under this Section

754 Railroads

10,000 records

10 minutes

1,667

Appendix F to Part 229—Guidance for Verification and Validation of Products—3rd Party Assessments

754 Railroads/3 Manufacturers

1 3rd party assessment

4,000 hours

4,000

Total Estimated Annual Responses:

82,168,698.

Total Estimated Annual Burden:

2,213,623 hours.

Status:

Extension of a Currently Approved Collection.

Title:

FRA Emergency Order No. 31, Notice No. 1.

OMB Control Number:

2130-0611.

Abstract:

On May 21, 2015, FRA issued Emergency Order No. 31 (EO or Order) to require that the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) take actions to control passenger train speed at certain locations on main line track in the Northeast Corridor (as defined by 49 U.S.C. 24905(c)(1)(A)). Amtrak was required to immediately implement code changes to its Automatic Train Control (ATC) System to enforce the passenger train speed limit ahead of the curve at Frankford Junction in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where a fatal accident occurred on May 12, 2015. Amtrak was also required to identify all other curves on the Northeast Corridor where there is a significant reduction (more than 20 miles per hour (mph)) from the maximum authorized approach speed to those curves for passenger trains. Amtrak was then required to develop and comply with an FRA-approved action plan to modify its existing ATC System or other signal systems (or take alternative operational actions) to enable enforcement of passenger train speeds at the identified curves. Amtrak also had to install additional wayside passenger train speed limit signage at appropriate locations on its Northeast Corridor right-of-way. FRA is continuing this Emergency Order in full force and effect, and is now seeking regular clearance for the information collection associated with this Emergency Order.

Form Number(s):

N/A.

Affected Public:

Businesses.

Respondent Universe:

1 Railroad.

Frequency of Submission:

On occasion.

Reporting Burden:

Emergency Order

No. 31—Item:

Respondent universe

Total annual responses

Average time per

response

Total annual burden hours

(1) Amtrak survey of Northeast Corridor (NEC) main line track system to create list identifying each main track curve where there is a reduction of more than 20 mph from the maximum authorized speed to that curve

1 Railroad

1 list

32 hours

32

(2) Development and submission of Amtrak Action Plan to FRA

1 Railroad

1 action plan

80 hours

80

(3) Installation of Additional Wayside Signs throughout NEC, particularly along curve locations, to alert engineers and conductors of maximum authorized train speed

1 Railroad

186 NEC wayside signs

15.4839 minutes per sign

48

—Notice by Amtrak to FRA of Installation of Signs along NEC designated in its

1 Railroad

6 notices

15 minutes

2

(4) Relief Petition to FRA to take action not in Accordance with this Emergency Order

1 Railroad

1 petition request

80 hours

80

Total Estimated Annual Responses:

195.

Total Estimated Annual Burden:

242.

Status:

Regular Review.

Pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b), 1320.8(b)(3)(vi), FRA informs all interested parties that it may not conduct or sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Authority:

44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

Rebecca Pennington,

Chief Financial Officer.

[FR Doc. 2015-15214 Filed 6-19-15; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-06-P