2026-21635: Denton County Transportation Authority's Request To Amend Its Positive Train Control Safety Plan and Positive Train Control System

Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 204 (Friday, October 23, 2026) [Federal Register Volume 91, Number 204 (Friday, October 23, 2026)] [Notices] [Pages 66912-66913] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2026-21635] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration [Docket Number FRA-2010-0074] Denton County Transportation Authority's Request To Amend Its Positive Train Control Safety Plan and Positive Train Control System

Agency

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation (DOT).

Action

Notice of availability and request for comments. -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary

This document provides the public with notice that, on October 12, 2026, the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) submitted a request for amendment (RFA) to its FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plan (PTCSP) to transition to an integrated dispatch system. The purpose of the transition is to eliminate the need for DCTA dispatch personnel to operate two separate workstations and dispatch systems to perform Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) and Enhanced Automatic Train Control (E-ATC) Temporary Speed Restriction (TSR) operations. As this RFA may involve a request for FRA's approval of proposed material modifications to an FRA-certified positive train control (PTC) system, FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on DCTA's RFA to its PTCSP.

Dates

FRA will consider comments received by November 12, 2026. FRA may consider comments received after that date to the extent practicable and without delaying implementation of valuable or necessary modifications to a PTC system.

Addresses

Comments: Comments may be submitted by going to https://www.regulations.gov and following the online instructions for submitting comments. Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and the applicable docket number. The relevant PTC docket number for this host railroad is Docket No. FRA-2010-0074. For convenience, all active PTC dockets are hyperlinked on FRA's website at https://railroads.dot.gov/research-development/program-areas/train-control/ptc/railroads-ptc-dockets. All comments received will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov; this includes any personal information.

For Further Information Contact

Gabe Neal, Staff Director, Signal, Train Control, and Crossings Division, telephone: 816-516-7168, email: [email protected].

Supplementary Information

In general, title 49 United States Code (U.S.C.) section 20157(h) requires FRA to certify that a host railroad's PTC system complies with 49 CFR part 236, subpart I, before the technology may be operated in revenue service. Before making certain changes to an FRA-certified PTC system or the associated FRA- approved PTCSP, a host railroad must submit, and obtain FRA's approval of, an RFA to its PTCSP under 49 CFR 236.1021. Under 49 CFR 236.1021(e), FRA's regulations provide that FRA will publish a notice in the Federal Register and invite public comment in accordance with 49 CFR part 211, if an RFA includes a request for approval of a material modification of a signal or train control system. Accordingly, this notice informs the public that DCTA submitted an RFA to its PTCSP for its E-ATC system, which seeks FRA's approval for updates to dispatch system software and wayside segments. That [[Page 66913]] RFA is available in Docket No. FRA-2010-0074. Interested parties are invited to comment on DCTA's RFA to its PTCSP by submitting written comments or data. During FRA's review of DCTA's RFA, FRA will consider any comments or data submitted within the timeline specified in this notice and to the extent practicable, without delaying implementation of valuable or necessary modifications to a PTC system. See 49 CFR 236.1021; see also 49 CFR 236.1011(e). Under 49 CFR 236.1021, FRA maintains the authority to approve, approve with conditions, or deny a railroad's RFA to its PTCSP at FRA's sole discretion. Privacy Act Notice In accordance with 49 CFR 211.3, FRA solicits comments from the public to inform its decisions. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information the commenter provides, to https://www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records notice (DOT/ ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at https://www.transportation.gov/privacy. See https://www.regulations.gov/privacy-notice for the privacy notice of regulations.gov. To facilitate comment tracking, we encourage commenters to provide their name, or the name of their organization; however, submission of names is optional. If you wish to provide comments containing proprietary or confidential information, please contact FRA for alternate submission instructions. Issued in Washington, DC Carolyn R. Hayward-Williams, Director, Office of Railroad Systems and Technology. [FR Doc. 2026-21635 Filed 10-22-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-06-P