The Locomotive Inspection Act requires
railroads to inspect, repair, and maintain locomotives and event
recorders so that they are safe, free from defects, and can be
placed in service without peril to life. Crashworthy locomotive
event recorders provide FRA with verifiable factual information
about how trains are maintained and operated, and will be used by
FRA and State inspectors for Part 229 rule enforcement. This
collection of information is mandatory, and affects Class I, Class
II, Class III, and passenger and commuter railroads operating on
the general system of transportation in the United States. The
required information is collected daily, quarterly, annually, and
on occasion. Information collected includes both reporting and
record keeping information, data about locomotives not complying
with the requirements of this Part, data about remote control
locomotives, accident reports, locomotive daily inspection and
repair records, written reports about Multiple Unit (MU)
locomotives, and readout information from locomotive event
recorders. FRA uses the information collected to monitor and
enforce the requirements of this Part, particularly to monitor the
daily operations of trains and ensure that locomotives placed in
service are safe to operate and undergo the required daily,
periodic, and annual inspections. The information collected is also
used by railroads and train crews to monitor train handling and
improve safety on an ongoing basis.
The burden has increased by
1,728,208 hours. The increase in burden is due solely to
adjustments. The table provided in the answer to question number 15
of the attached Supporting Justification reflects all the adjusted
estimates: Adjustments above increased the burden by 1,728,208
hours and increased the number of responses by 100. The current
burden in the OMB inventory for this information collection shows a
total of 2,087,543 hours, while the present submission exhibits a
burden total of 3,815,751 hours. Hence, there is an overall burden
increase of 1,728,708 hours. There is no change in cost to
respondents. NOTE; ROCIS incorrectly shows the cost to respondents
as $187,966. The last OMB Notice of Approval dated March 22, 2016,
correctly shows the cost to respondents as $187,963, which is the
cost listed in this renewal Supporting Justification..
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.