Document
Notice of Petition for Extension of Waiver of Compliance
This document provides the public notice that Northern Central Railway of York (NCR) petitioned FRA for an amendment of relief from certain regulations concerning safety glazing...
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Under part 211 of title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), this document provides the public notice that by letter received March 16, 2026, NCR petitioned FRA for an addendum of a waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad safety regulations contained in 49 CFR part 223 (Safety Glazing Standards—Locomotives, Passenger Cars and Cabooses). The relevant Docket Number is FRA-2011-0069.
Specifically, NCR requests an amendment to the existing waiver from § 233.9,
Requirements for equipment built or rebuilt after June 30, 1980,
which, in part, requires locomotives with the specified characteristics to be equipped with certified glazing in all locomotive cab windows. That waiver granted relief from glazing requirements on steam locomotive 17 (No. 17), which is used in tourist excursion service. In its March 16, 2026 petition, NCR requested that No. 17's operation area be expanded to the Gettysburg and Northern Railroad, between Gettysburg and Mount Holly Springs, Pennsylvania, and the CSX Transportation Hanover Subdivision, from BAS 70.8 to BAS 72.0.
In addition, NCR requests reconsideration of FRA's determination of part 223's applicability to No. 17's operations. In support of this request for reconsideration, NCR stated that it has “historically been treated as a non-general system railroad” due to its limited operation and lack of an accessible physical connection to the national rail network. It also represented that its “[t]rains operate at speeds not exceeding 15 miles per hour and primarily traverse rural territory.”
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 July 13, 2026 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.