Search Results for agency_names:"Surface Transportation Board"

The Surface Transportation Board is updating its list of arbitrators for handling rail rate and practice complaints, as required annually. They are inviting new applicants to submit their qualifications and current arbitrators to confirm their continued availability by January 27, 2025. Applicants should highlight their experience with rail transport and economic regulation, along with their arbitration skills and contact information. The updated list will feature each arbitrator's background, expertise, and contact details, and will be available on the Board's website.

The Surface Transportation Board is starting a process to figure out the railway industry's cost of capital for the year 2024. They are looking for comments on several aspects, including the cost of debt, preferred equity, common equity capital, and the overall capital structure of the railroads. People interested in participating need to submit their intent by February 21, 2025, and various statements are due on specific dates in March and April 2025. For more information, contact Pedro Ramirez or visit the Board's website.

Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART), a Class III rail carrier, has filed for an exemption to acquire and operate an 87.65-mile rail line from North Coast Railroad Authority (NCRA) in California. The transaction allows SMART to be the freight operator using a noncarrier contract operator and is expected to be completed on or after March 4, 2021. SMART assures that its annual revenues from the deal will not exceed $5 million and that there are no agreements limiting future connections with other carriers. This transaction is mostly exempt from environmental and historic preservation reviews.

The Surface Transportation Board received a prefiling notification regarding a proposed transaction where Norfolk Southern Corporation and Norfolk Southern Railway Company aim to gain control of Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad Company. After reviewing the February 14, 2025 submission, the Board determined the transaction is "significant" rather than "minor," requiring more detailed information and compliance with different procedures. The Board instructed Norfolk Southern to amend their application, submit a revised procedural schedule by March 21, 2025, and to pay the additional filing fee associated with significant transactions. Additionally, the Board noted concerns from CSX Transportation and the Virginia Port Authority about potential anticompetitive effects.

Central New York Railroad Corporation (CNY) is a small railroad company that continues to lease and operate a rail line from Norfolk Southern Railway Company, covering about 123.1 miles between New York and Pennsylvania. This notice states that CNY plans to amend their lease to extend the term and adjust renewal conditions, while keeping all other original terms in place. CNY assures that the transaction will not make it a larger railroad and estimates their earnings won't go beyond $5 million a year. The Surface Transportation Board will allow this change to be effective from April 12, 2025, unless any misleading information is found or if objections are filed in time.

MSE Holding Company has filed a notice to the Surface Transportation Board seeking permission for a family restructuring that involves controlling two rail carriers, Mississippi Export Railroad Company and Alabama Export Railroad, Inc. These changes will make both companies sister subsidiaries of a newly formed noncarrier holding company, MSE Holding. The reorganization, set to take effect on December 27, 2024, aims to simplify the corporate structure without impacting service levels or competition. The transaction is exempt from certain regulatory approvals, and as these are Class III carriers, no labor protections will be applied.

The Surface Transportation Board has received a request from the Utah Inland Port Authority to access specific data from the Board's 2019 Masked Carload Waybill Sample. This sample contains confidential information about railroads and shippers, so if anyone wants to object to the request, they must do so within 14 days of this notice by contacting the Board's Office of Economics. The procedures for handling such data are specified in federal regulations.

BNSF Railway Company has filed a notice of exemption to obtain temporary, restricted trackage rights over two rail lines owned by Union Pacific Railroad Company in California. These trackage rights will allow BNSF to transport empty and loaded ballast trains to and from a ballast pit near the lines. The agreement for these rights is set to expire on December 31, 2025. The Surface Transportation Board is handling this case, and interested parties may file relevant petitions or documents related to this matter.

Dover and Delaware River Railroad, LLC (DDRR), a small railway company, plans to amend its lease agreement with Norfolk Southern Railway Company. This change will not turn DDRR into a larger rail carrier and will involve an interchange commitment. The transaction is set to take effect on January 16, 2025, and people can contest it by filing petitions before that date. The project is exempt from environmental and historical reviews, according to federal regulations.

OPSEU Pension Plan Trust Fund, Jaguar Transport Holdings, LLC, and Jaguar Rail Holdings, LLC have applied for permission to continue overseeing Kansas City West Bottoms Railroad, LLC, once it starts operating as a Class III rail carrier. This exemption would allow Kansas City West Bottoms Railroad to take over a short stretch of rail line from its current operator, Union Pacific Railroad Company, without needing additional approvals. The transaction, which doesn’t involve connecting to other Jaguar-owned railroads or using a Class I carrier, is set to become effective on March 5, 2025. It's also noted that the action doesn't require an environmental or historic preservation review.