Brake System Safety Standards for Freight and Other Non-Passenger Trains and Equipment

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

49 CFR Parts 229, 231, and 232

[FRA Docket No. PB-9; Notice No. 14]

RIN 2130--AB16

Brake System Safety Standards for Freight and Other Non-Passenger

Trains and Equipment

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Public Hearings and Technical Conference.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: By notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published on September

9, 1998 (63 FR 48294), FRA proposed revisions to the regulations

governing the power braking systems and equipment used in freight and

other non-passenger railroad train operations. In that proposed rule,

FRA announced that it would schedule two public hearings and one

technical conference to allow interested parties the opportunity to

comment on issues addressed in the NPRM. This document announces the

public hearings and technical conference.

DATES: (1) Public Hearings: Two public hearings will be held on the

dates and at the locations listed below to provide interested parties

the opportunity to comment on the proposed revisions contained in the

NPRM. The dates of the public hearings are as follows:

Monday, October 26, 1998 at 9:00 a.m. in Kansas City, Missouri.

Friday, November 13, 1998 at 9:30 a.m. in Washington D.C.

(2) Technical Conference: A technical conference will be held on

Monday, November 23 and Tuesday, November 24, 1998 at 9:00 a.m. near

San Francisco, California. The technical conference is intended to

provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on the proposed

revisions contained in the NPRM and to provide interested parties the

ability to specifically discuss various technical issues identified

below.

ADDRESSES: (1) Public Hearings: Hearings to provide interested parties

the opportunity to comment on the proposed revisions contained in the

NPRM will be held at these locations:

Kansas City, Missouri: Federal Building, 601 East 12th Street, Room

111, Kansas City, Missouri 64105.

Washington, D.C.: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Auditorium,

Third Floor, Federal Office Building 10A, 800 Independence Avenue,

S.W., Washington, D.C. 20591.

(2) Technical Conference: A technical conference will be conducted

in the San Francisco area at: Embassy Suites Walnut Creek, 1345 Treat

Boulevard, Walnut Creek, California 94596. See Supplementary

Information for details.

(3) Docket Clerk: Written notification should identify the docket

number and must be submitted in triplicate to the Docket Clerk, Office

of Chief Counsel, Federal Railroad Administration, RCC-10, 400 Seventh

Street, Stop 10, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Leon Smith, Deputy Regional

Administrator--Region 3, FRA Office of Safety, RRS-14, 400 Seventh

Street, S.W., Stop 25, Washington, D.C. 20950 (telephone 404-562-3800),

or Thomas Herrmann, Trial Attorney, Office of the Chief Counsel, RCC-

10, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Stop 10, Washington, D.C. 20950

(telephone 202-493-6053).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Technical Conference

The technical conference will address specific technical issues

that might not be addressed in the oral comments presented at the

public hearings. These include:

Issues related to dynamic brakes, particularly the

concerns raised in recent recommendations issued by the National

Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and other issues related to safely

negotiating heavy grades with loaded, high capacity cars in the

consist. See 63 FR 48313-15, NTSB Recommendations R-98-1 through 98-7

(February 25, 1998).

Issues related to two-way end-of-train devices, such as:

bench testing; doubling hills; and heavy grade operations. See 63 FR

48322-23.

Issues related to the securement of standing equipment.

See 63 FR 48331-32.

Issues related to the performance of brake tests utilizing

yard air sources. See 63 FR 48344.

Issues related to the use and operation of Helper Link

devices. See 63 FR 48345.

FRA invites all interested parties to participate in the technical

conference. FRA believes that technical discussion from all interested

parties will contribute to an effective final regulation. For this

conference to be successful, participants should be prepared to

discuss, at a minimum, the issues identified above and provide

reasonable alternatives. FRA also encourages participants to bring

supporting documentation where appropriate.

[[Page 54105]]

Public Participation Procedures

Any person wishing to participate in either the public hearings or

the technical conference should notify the Docket Clerk by mail at the

address provided in the ADDRESSES section at least five working days

prior to the date of the hearing or conference and submit three copies

of the oral statement that he or she intends to make at the hearing.

The notification should identify the party the person represents, and

the particular subject(s) the person plans to address. The notification

should also provide the Docket Clerk with the participant's mailing

address. FRA reserves the right to limit participation in the hearings

of persons who fail to provide such notification.

Issued in Washington, DC, on October 5, 1998.

George A. Gavalla,

Acting Associate Administrator for Safety.

[FR Doc. 98-27114 Filed 10-7-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-06-P