SUPPORTING JUSTIFICATION
Stenciling Reporting Mark on Freight Cars
OMB No. 2130-0520
Summary of Submission
This submission is a request for no material or non-substantive change of the currently approved collection of information , which expires on September 30, 2013. Only the number of respondents has changed (from 728 to 763 railroads).
The total number of burden hours previously approved for this information collection was 18,750 hours.
The total number of burden hours requested for this submission is 18,750 hours.
Total number of responses previously approved for this information collection was 25,000.
Total number of responses requested for this submission is 25,000.
**The answer to question number 12 itemizes the hourly burden associated with each requirement of this rule (See p. 4).
Circumstances that make collection of the information necessary.
Background
On October 16, 1970, Congress enacted Public Law 96-458, the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970 (now 49 U.S.C. 20103). This Act gave the Secretary of Transportation the authority to prescribe as necessary appropriate rules, regulations, orders, and standards for all areas of railroad safety.
The second standards promulgated by FRA under the authority of this Act were the Federal Freight Car Safety Standards (49 CFR 215). The standards require each railroad to inspect freight cars placed in a train and take the necessary remedial action when defects are found. FRA enforces the regulations by monitoring the railroad's compliance activities using FRA field personnel and/or qualified inspectors.
The railroad industry and private car owners have for years – for their own benefit – provided their reporting mark and car number to all cars of their ownership. Title 49 CFR Section 215.301 sets forth certain restrictions that have to be observed by railroad carriers and private car owners relative to identification marks on railroad equipment. Among these restrictions are those requiring that a reporting mark, car number, and built date shall be stenciled, or otherwise displayed, in clearly legible letters and numbers not less than seven inches high, except those of the built date which shall not be less than one inch on each side of each railroad freight car body. In the case of a tank car, the required information must be stenciled or otherwise displayed in any location that is visible to a person walking at track level beside the car. It is of vital importance that this requirement be complied with to provide identification of freight cars.
| File Type | application/msword |
| Author | USDOT User |
| Last Modified By | Toone, Kim (FRA) |
| File Modified | 2013-08-08 |
| File Created | 2013-08-08 |