[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 220 (Friday, November 14, 1997)] [Notices] [Page 61163] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 97-30032] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration Notice of Safety Advisory AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of safety advisory amendment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: FRA is amending Safety Advisory 97-1, which addresses safety practices to reduce the risk of casualties from train derailments caused by damage to tracks, roadbed, and bridges resulting from uncontrolled flows of water and similar weather-related phenomena, by revising the recommendation concerning the transmission of flash flood warnings to train dispatchers or other employees controlling the movement of trains. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gordon A. Davids, P.E., Bridge Engineer, Office of Safety Assurance and Compliance, FRA, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., RRS-15, Mail Stop 25, Washington, D.C. 20590 (telephone 202-632-3340) or Daniel L. Alpert, Trial Attorney, Office of Chief Counsel, FRA, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., RCC-12, Mail Stop 10, Washington, D.C. 20590 (telephone 202-632-3186). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 4, 1997, FRA issued Safety Advisory 97-1 (SA 97-1) (62 FR 46793), recommending that railroads take certain actions to reduce the risk of train derailments which could result from severe weather conditions, particularly undetected flash floods. The first recommendation of SA 97-1 reads as follows: 1. The railroad should have in place a procedure that will assure that all notifications issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) of flash flood warnings will be received within 15 minutes of issuance from the NWS, directly or through a contract weather forecasting service, by the train dispatchers or other employees controlling the movement of trains on all track of Class 4 or higher or upon which passenger trains operate in commuter or intercity service, within the warning area. In the case of such track located outside of the warning area but subject to damage from water resulting from the storm, the information should be obtained in time to permit timely response by the railroad. The intent of the recommendation is for all flash flood warnings issued by the NWS for the area in which an affected railroad operates to be received by the personnel who control train operations in the area of the warning. It is not necessary that the warning come directly from the NWS, but it should be received intact and in a timely manner. Since SA 97-1 was issued, FRA has become aware of several circumstances in which large railroads with centralized dispatching operations have contracted with specialized weather services for weather information tailored to the situation and requirements of the railroad. Several of those contract services do not pass on all NWS warnings, but instead analyze the warnings in the light of other weather data available to them and their knowledge of the specific situation and requirements of their clients in order to provide only the weather information that affects the client and to filter out irrelevant information. This process reduces the amount of information that the client is required to consider and evaluate, and allows the client to focus on information that, in the view of the contract weather service, might actually affect the client's property and operations. FRA now believes that this procedure offered by contract weather services might meet the requirements of some railroads better than if all NWS warnings are passed on by the contract weather service en masse, regardless of their relevance to the individual railroad. Therefore, Safety Advisory 97-1 is amended in part by revising Recommendation 1 to read as follows: 1. The railroad should have in place a procedure that will assure that the train dispatchers or other employees controlling the movement of trains on all track of Class 4 or higher or upon which passenger trains operate in commuter or intercity service will receive timely warnings of any flash flood that might damage that track or its supporting structures. In the case of such track located outside of the warning area but subject to damage from water resulting from the storm, the information should be obtained in time to permit timely response by the railroad. The warning procedure should incorporate either: a. The means to receive within 15 minutes of issuance by the National Weather Service (NWS) all NWS flood warnings for the area in which the track is located; or b. An arrangement with a competent commercial weather service which receives and reviews warnings and weather data from the NWS as part of its warning procedures, and from which the railroad receives warnings and weather information that is specific to the situation and requirements of the railroad. Issued in Washington, DC, on November 10, 1997. George A. Gavalla, Acting Associate Administrator for Safety. [FR Doc. 97-30032 Filed 11-13-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-06-P