Survey of Plant and Insular Tourist Railroads Subject to FRA Bridge Safety Standards (49 CFR 237)

4910-06-P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

49 CFR Chapter II

[Request for Information]

Survey of Plant and Insular Tourist Railroads subject to FRA Bridge Safety Standards.

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of Information Collection
______________________________________________________________________________

SUMMARY: FRA’s Bridge Safety Standards (49 CFR part 237) require all owners of railroad track with a gage of 2 feet or more supported by a bridge to comply with the regulations. This includes track owners with bridges located within an industrial installation (plant) that is not part of the general railroad system of transportation (general system), but over which railroad equipment is moved by a general system railroad. To identify track owners subject to the requirements of part 237, Bridge Safety Standards, FRA relies on the railroad accident/incident reports that FRA regulations (49 CFR part 225, Railroad Accidents/Incidents: Reports Classification, and Investigations) require railroads to file monthly. However, plant railroads and insular tourist railroads are exempt from 49 CFR part 225 reporting requirements. FRA desires to identify plant and insular tourist railroads that may be subject to part 237 requirements, but are exempt from part 225 reporting requirements, to analyze the risks these entities may pose to railroad bridge safety and to aid in planning bridge safety oversight activities and allocating resources. FRA is issuing this information collection notice and requesting any railroad serving a plant and moving railroad equipment over bridges within the plant, or the plant itself, to advise FRA by e-mail that there are railroad bridges within the installation potentially subject to FRA Bridge Safety Standards. FRA is also requesting insular tourist railroads, whose tracks are supported by one or more bridges, to advise FRA by e-mail about these bridges. The e-mail notifications should include the name of the installation or insular tourist railroad, address, including city and State, contact name, telephone number, and email address.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This Directive is effective [INSERT DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Killingbeck, Chief Engineer - Structures, Bridge & Structures Division, Office of Technical Oversight, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 3^rd Floor - West, Washington, DC, 20590, (202) 493-6251. [email protected].

INFORMATION COLLECTION NOTICE:

FRA requests any railroad serving a plant and moving railroad equipment over bridges within the plant, or the plant itself, to advise FRA by email that there are railroad bridges within the installation potentially subject to FRA Bridge Safety Standards. FRA also requests insular tourist railroads, whose tracks are supported by one or more bridges, to advise FRA by email about these bridges. E-mail notifications should be sent to [DEDICATED EMAIL ADDRESS TO BE ESTABLISHED] and include the name of the installation or insular tourist railroad, address, including city and State, contact name, telephone number, and email address. Notification may also be made by telephone to David Killingbeck at (202) 493-6251.

This information collection instrument has been approved under OMB Control No. 2130-XXXX and expires on [MMMM/DD/YYYY]

Issued in Washington, DC, on

Robert C. Lauby, PE
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety
Chief Safety Officer

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