[Federal Register: March 23, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 55)] [Notices] [Page 14043] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr23mr99-141] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System or Relief From the Requirements of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 236 Pursuant to Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 235 and 49 U.S.C. App. 26, the following railroads have petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) seeking approval for the discontinuance or modification of the signal system or relief from the requirements of 49 CFR part 236 as detailed below. Docket No.: FRA-1998-4821. Applicant: Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway Company, Mr. D. B. Moore, Chief Engineer, Engineering Department, 329 Second Street, Proctor, Minnesota 55810-1091. The Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway Company (DMIR) seeks relief from the requirements of Sec. 236.51 of the Rules, Standards, and Instructions (49 CFR 236.51), to the extent that DMIR be permitted to utilize wheel count-based trap circuits, on steel deck bridges in signaled territory, in lieu of maintaining the existing track circuits. Applicant's justification for relief: The insulated bridge pads are approaching the end of their useful life, and replacement pads are only available from an Australian supplier in large quantities, at high cost; the steadily increasing annual cost for maintenance and train delays associated with troubleshooting and repairs, make it impracticable to maintain the existing track circuits; and presently, rail size is limited to 115-pound and cannot be upgraded to DMIR's 136- pound, main line track standard. Any interested party desiring to protest the granting of an application shall set forth specifically the grounds upon which the protest is made, and contain a concise statement of the interest of the Protestant in the proceeding. Additionally, one copy of the protest shall be furnished to the applicant at the address listed above. All communications concerning this proceeding should be identified by the docket number and must be submitted to the Docket Clerk, DOT Central Docket Management Facility, Room PI-401, Washington, DC 20590- 0001. Communications received within 45 days of the date of this notice will be considered by the 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 DOT Central Docket Management Facility, Room PI-401 (Plaza Level), 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590-0001. 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://dms.dot.gov. FRA expects to be able to determine these matters without an oral hearing. However, if a specific request for an oral hearing is accompanied by a showing that the party is unable to adequately present his or her position by written statements, an application may be set for public hearing. Issued in Washington, DC on March 17, 1999. Grady C. Cothen, Jr., Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program Development. [FR Doc. 99-7044 Filed 3-22-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-06-P