Grade Crossing Signal System Safety Regulations, OMB Control No. 2130-0534, Comment Due Jun 22

Content

ACTION:

Notice of information collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information Collection
Request (ICR) summarized below. Before submitting this ICR to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA
is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified in the ICR.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before June 22, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR should be submitted on https://www.regulations.gov to Docket No. FRA-2026-0595. All comments received will be posted without change to the docket, including any personal information
provided. Please refer to the assigned OMB control number (2130-0534) in any correspondence submitted. FRA will summarize
comments received in response to this notice in a subsequent notice, made available to the public, and include them in its
information collection submission to OMB for approval.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ms. Joanne Swafford, Information Collection Clearance Officer, at email: joanne.swafford@dot.gov or telephone: (757) 897-9908.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, and its implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to provide 60 days'
notice to the public to allow comment on information collection activities before seeking OMB approval of the activities. See 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. Specifically, FRA invites interested parties to comment on the following
ICR regarding: (1) whether the information collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly execute its functions,
including whether the activities will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of FRA's estimates of the burden of the information
collection activities, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used to determine the estimates; (3) ways
for FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and (4) ways for FRA to minimize
the burden of information collection activities on the public, including the use of automated collection techniques or other
forms of information technology. See 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1).

FRA believes that soliciting public comment may reduce the administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection
of information that Federal regulations mandate. In summary, comments received will advance three objectives: (1) reduce reporting
burdens; (2) organize information collection requirements in a “user-friendly” format to improve the use of such information;
and (3) accurately assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce information requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.

The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB clearance as the PRA requires:

Title: Grade Crossing Signal System Safety Regulations.

OMB Control Number: 2130-0534.

Abstract: FRA believes that highway-rail grade crossing (grade crossing) accidents resulting from warning system failures can be reduced.
To ensure safety, railroads are required to take certain actions when they are notified of an activation failure. (1) These required actions are set forth in 49 CFR part 234. An activation failure is defined as the failure of a grade crossing
warning system to indicate the approach of a train at least 20 seconds prior to the train's arrival at the crossing or to
indicate the presence of a train occupying the crossing. Specifically, railroads must report to FRA every impact between on-track
railroad equipment and an automobile, bus, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, farm vehicle, or pedestrian at a highway-rail grade
crossing involving an activation failure. Notification must be provided to the National Response Center (NRC) within 24 hours
of occurrence at the stipulated toll-free telephone number. In addition, railroads must report to FRA each activation failure
of a highway-rail grade warning system within 15 days. Form FRA F 6180.83, “Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Warning System Activation
Failure Report,” must be used for this purpose and completed using the instructions printed on the form. With this information,
FRA can identify the causes of activation failures and investigate them to determine whether periodic maintenance, inspection,
and testing standards are effective.

In this 60-day notice, FRA is updating the existing Form FRA F 6180.83, “Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Warning System Activation
Failure Report.” While the proposed revisions do not reduce the 10-minute average response time, they streamline the form
and are intended to obtain additional clarity from responses provided in the “Corrective Action” section. FRA is proposing
the following edits to Form FRA F 6180.83. First, a new data field with the phrase, “Loss of Shunt Involved,” and a “Yes”
or “No” checkbox would be added under “DOT Crossing Number” in the top right block on the form. In addition, in the top right
block, the data field for the reporting employee's signature would be removed. With the change from the form being submitted
via mail to the use of a dedicated email to submit the form to FRA, a signature is no longer necessary. In the “Classification”
section, a fillable text box has been added to the “Current Active Warning Devices” data field to allow users to provide additional
information when selection “7—Other (Describe)” is checked.

Under “Corrective Action,” the boxes for “Cause of Failure Codes” would be removed and replaced with a drop-down list of failure
codes that can be selected. Lastly, cause code “j PTC/Wireless Device” would be added to

cause codes for “3 Equipment”, and cause code “i Train Crew Non-Compliance with Rules” would be added to cause codes under
“4 Human Factor”.

FRA has made no changes to the previously approved burden of 5,042 hours and 60,252 responses.

Type of Request: Extension without change of a currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Businesses (railroads).

Form(s): FRA F 6180.83.

Respondent Universe: 784 railroads.

Frequency of Submission: On occasion/monthly.

| CFR section | Respondent universe
(railroads) | Total annual
responses | Average time
per response(minutes) | Total annual
burden hours | Wage

rates 2 | Total cost
equivalent in U.S.D |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| (A) | (B) | (C = A * B) | | (D = C * wage rates) |
| 234.7 Accidents involving grade crossing signal failure |
| —(a) Telephone notification to the NRC | 784 | 2 phone calls | 2 | 0.10 | $83.32 | $8.33 |
| 234.9 Grade crossing signal system failure reports |
| —Report to FRA on Form 6180.83, “Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Warning System Activation Failure Report” | 784 | 250 reports | 10 | 42 | 83.32 | 3,499.44 |
| Subpart C Response to Credible Reports of Warning System Malfunction at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings |
| —234.105/106/107 Activation failure, partial and false activation. Notifications to required parties | 784 | 30,000 notifications | 5 | 2,500 | 83.32 | 208,300.00 |
| 234.109 Recordkeeping |
| —Recordkeeping | 784 | 30,000 records | 5 | 2,500 | 83.32 | 208,300.00 |
| Total 3 | 784 | 60,252 responses | N/A | 5,042 | | 420,107.77 |
Total Estimated Annual Responses: 60,252.

Total Estimated Annual Burden: 5,042 hours.

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $420,107.77.

FRA informs all interested parties that it may not conduct or sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, a collection
of information that does not display a currently valid OMB control number.

Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

Christopher S. Van Nostrand, Deputy Chief Counsel. [FR Doc. 2026-07886 Filed 4-22-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-06-P

Footnotes

(1) 56 FR 33722 (1991); 59 FR 50086 (1994).

(2) The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the 2024 STB Full Year Wage A&B data series using the appropriate employee group
hourly wage rate that includes a 75-percent overhead charge. For Transportation (Other than Train & Engine) staff, this cost
amounts to $83.32 per hour.

(3) Totals may not add due to rounding.

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