Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information Collection Request (ICR) summarized below. Before submitt...
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION:
Notice of information collection; request for comment.
SUMMARY:
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information Collection Request (ICR) summarized below. Before submitting this ICR to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified in the ICR.
DATES:
Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before November 16, 2026.
ADDRESSES:
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR should be submitted on
www.regulations.gov
to Docket No. FRA-2026-1588. All comments received will be posted without change to the docket, including any personal information provided. Please refer to the assigned OMB control number (2130-0545) in any correspondence submitted. FRA will summarize comments received in response to this notice in a subsequent notice, made available to the public, and include them in its information collection submission to OMB for approval.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ms. Joanne Swafford, Information Collection Clearance Officer, at email:
joanne.swafford@dot.gov
or telephone: (757) 897-9908.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, and its implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to provide 60 days' notice to the public to allow comment on information collection activities before seeking OMB approval of the activities.
See44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. Specifically, FRA invites interested parties to comment on the following ICR regarding: (1) whether the information collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly execute its functions, including whether the activities will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of FRA's estimates of the burden of the information collection activities, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used to determine the estimates; (3) ways for FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and (4) ways for FRA to minimize the burden of information collection activities on the public, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
See44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1).
FRA finds that soliciting public comment may reduce the administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection of information that Federal regulations mandate. In summary, comments received will advance three objectives: (1) reduce reporting burdens; (2) organize information collection requirements in a “user-friendly” format to improve the use of such information; and (3) accurately assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce information requested.
See44 U.S.C. 3501.
The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB clearance as the PRA requires:
Title:
Passenger Train Emergency Preparedness.
OMB Control Number:
2130-0545.
( printed page 58744)
Abstract:
The railroad passenger train emergency preparedness regulations under 49 CFR part 239 set forth FRA's requirements for railroads to meet Federal standards for the preparation, adoption, and implementation of emergency preparedness plans connected with the operation of passenger trains, including freight railroads hosting passenger rail service operations. Part 239 also requires each affected railroad to instruct its employees on the provisions of its plan. The information collected is necessary for compliance with the regulation.
In this 60-day notice, FRA has adjusted the burden hour estimates, decreasing the previously approved burden from 353 to 181 hours. FRA has lowered its estimate of waiver petitions and new emergency preparedness plans from 1 annually to 1 over the next 3-year period of this information collection.
In addition, FRA determined that the paperwork burden for § 239.101(a)(7), dissemination of emergency instructions, is already accounted for under OMB Control No. 2130-0544. That ICR includes burden estimates for requirements under § 238.305(c) (Interior calendar day mechanical inspection of passenger cars), which include verifying that all safety-related signage is in place and legible. The ongoing cost of the seat cards is now correctly being reflected under Question 13 as an additional cost to respondents.
Under § 239.105, which requires records to be kept of debrief and critique sessions after each passenger train emergency situation or simulation, FRA increased the annual responses from 34 to 228 to more accurately reflect the required annual emergency simulation by each railroad and emergency situations that require a debrief and critique session.
Type of Request:
Extension without change (with changes in estimates) of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public:
Businesses (railroads).
Form(s): N/A.
Respondent Universe:
38 railroads.
Frequency of Submission:
On occasion.
Reporting Burden:
49 CFR section
Respondent
universe
(railroads)
Total annual
responses
Average
time per
response
Total annual
burden hours
Wage
rate 1
Total cost
equivalent
U.S.D.
(A)
(B)
(C = A * B)
(D = C * wage rates)
239.13 Waivers:
—Petition for waiver of compliance
38
0.33 waiver petition
8 hours
2.64
$90.19
$238.10
239.101 Emergency preparedness plan:
—(a) Emergency preparedness plans for new/start-up railroads
38
0.33 new plan
80 hours
26.40
90.19
2,381.02
—(a)(1)(ii) Railroad designation of employees responsible for maintaining emergency phone numbers for use in contacting outside emergency responders and appropriate RR officials that a passenger emergency has occurred
—(a)(6)(iii)-(iv) On-board emergency lighting, maintenance and marking of emergency exits
The estimated paperwork burden for this requirement is included under OMB Control No. 2130-0576 with respect to the requirements in § 238.113(d)(1) through (3) and § 238.112(d)(1) through (2).
—(a)(7) Railroad dissemination of information regarding emergency procedures/instructions
The estimated paperwork burden for this requirement is reported under OMB Control No. 2130-0544, with respect to the requirements in § 238.305(c), Interior calendar day mechanical inspection of passenger cars, which includes verifying that all safety-related signage is in place and legible. The ongoing cost of the seat cards is now correctly being reflected under Question 13.
239.105 Debriefing and critique:
—(d) Debrief and critique session records
38
228 records
5 minutes
19
90.19
1,713.61
239.201 Emergency preparedness plan; filing and approval:
—Emergency preparedness plan: Filing of plan and amendments
38
6 amended plans
16 hours
96
90.19
8,658.24
—Non-substantive changes to emergency preparedness plan
38
1 non-sub. change
10 minutes
0.17
90.19
15.03
239.301 Operational tests and inspections:
—Requirement to conduct operational tests and inspections
The estimated paperwork burden for this requirement is included under OMB Control No. 2130-0035, with respect to the record keeping requirements in § 217.9(d)(1).
Total 2
38
304 responses
181
16,324.99
1
The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the 2024 Surface Transportation Board Full Year Wage A&B data series using employee group 200 (Professional & Administrative) hourly wage rate of $51.54. The total burden wage rate (straight time plus 75%) used in the table is $90.19 ($51.54 × 1.75 = $90.19).
2
Totals may not add up due to rounding.
( printed page 58745)
Total Estimated Annual Responses:
304.
Total Estimated Annual Burden:
181 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent:
$16,324.99.
FRA informs all interested parties that it may not conduct or sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, a collection of information that does not display a currently valid OMB control number.
www.regulations.gov
44 U.S.C. 3501-3520
5 CFR part 1320