[Federal Register: March 18, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 52)]
[Notices]
[Page 13226-13227]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18mr05-119]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Petition for Waiver of Compliance

    In accordance with Part 211 of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR), notice is hereby given that the Federal Railroad Administration
(FRA) received a request for a waiver of compliance with certain
requirements of its safety standards. The individual petition is
described below, including the party seeking relief, the regulatory
provisions involved, the nature of the relief being requested, and the
petitioner's arguments in favor of relief.

Norfolk Southern Corporation

(Waiver Petition Docket Number FRA-2005-20384)

    The Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS) seeks a waiver of compliance
for locomotives assigned to operate over the hump yard retarders at its
Bellevue, OH, and Roanoke, VA, yards, from the requirements of the
Locomotive Safety Standards, 49 CFR 229.123, which requires each lead
locomotive be equipped with an end plate, pilot plate, or snow plow,
that extends across both rails at a maximum clearance of six inches. NS
indicates that due to the height of the retarders, it is not uncommon
for locomotive pilots or

[[Page 13227]]

snow plows to strike them when operating over the hump. If the waiver
is granted, NS would raise the height of the pilot plates or snow plow
to allow more clearance and would re-adjust the height whenever it is
necessary for a hump assigned locomotive to be moved from Bellevue or
Roanoke yards.
    Interested parties are invited to participate in these proceedings
by submitting written views, data, or comments. FRA does not anticipate
scheduling a public hearing in connection with these proceedings since
the facts do not appear to warrant a hearing. If any interested party
desires an opportunity for oral comment, they should notify FRA, in
writing, before the end of the comment period and specify the basis for
their request.
    All communications concerning these proceedings should identify the
appropriate docket number (FRA-2005-20384) and must be submitted to the
Docket Clerk, DOT Docket Management Facility, Room PL-401 (Plaza
Level), 400 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Communications
received within 45 days of the date of this notice will be considered
by 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 the above facility. 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
.

    Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on
April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477-78). The Statement
may also be found at http://dms.dot.gov.


    Issued in Washington, DC on March 14, 2005.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program
Development.
[FR Doc. 05-5363 Filed 3-17-05; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-06-P