The Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) (Petitioners), on behalf of themselves and their member railroads, submitted a petition for waiver of compliance to FRA.
The Petitioners are requesting relief from 49 CFR 236.1021, which governs the Request for Amendment (RFA) process when material modifications are made to a mixed-certification Interoperable Train Control Positive Train Control (PTC) system or its accompanying Safety Plan (PTCSP).
The petitioners argue when modifications are made to the PTCSP, the RFA process is very time consuming for both FRA and railroad staff as it requires gathering and submitting large amounts of information followed by a lengthy review and approval process. The petitioners feel that approval of the petition would result in significant resource and cost savings to both FR and the railroads.
Interested parties may submit comments on the petition until October 19, 2020. All comments must include the docket number.
