Document
Notice of Petition for Inclusion in Waiver of Compliance
This document provides the public notice that Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS) petitioned FRA for relief from certain regulations concerning calibration of air flow method (AFM...
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Under part 211 of title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), this document provides the public notice that by letter dated July 1, 2025 NS petitioned FRA for inclusion in a waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad safety regulations contained at 49 CFR parts 229 (Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards) and 232 (Brake System Safety Standards for Freight and Other Non-Passenger Trains and Equipment: End-of-Train Devices). FRA assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-2016-0086.
Specifically, NS seeks to join the relief granted in this docket from § 229.29(b),
Air brake system calibration, maintenance, and testing
and § 232.205(c)(1)(iii),
Class I brake test—initial terminal inspection.
The existing relief allows participating railroads to test extending the AFM test intervals from 92 days to 184 days on locomotives equipped with the New York Air Brake (NYAB) CCB-II and Fastbrake air brake systems.[]
To justify the waiver request, NS states that participating in the waiver will reduce the risk exposure to its mechanical workers by eliminating over 4,000 AFM calibrations. Further, NS notes that testing performed during this program “has shown AFM calibration performed using the required 92-day test interval adversely affects the integrity of the airflow reading.” NS adds that it has prepared a test plan and installed the appropriate software on its fleet of 2,004 CCB-II and CCB-IIe locomotives.
A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications concerning the petition, is available for review online at
www.regulations.gov.
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 and a public hearing, they should notify FRA, in writing, before the end of the comment period and specify the basis for their request.
Communications received by October 6, 2025 will be considered by FRA before final action is taken. Comments received after that date will be considered if practicable.
Privacy Act
Anyone can search the electronic form of any written communications and comments received into any of FRA's dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the document, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). Under 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to inform its processes. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information the commenter provides, to
www.regulations.gov,
as described in the system of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at
https://www.transportation.gov/privacy.
See also
https://www.regulations.gov/privacy-notice
for the privacy notice of
regulations.gov.
Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.