Search Results for agency_names:"Surface Transportation Board"

Avalon Motor Coaches, LLC, along with its affiliates, is planning to acquire most of the assets and contracts of Rose Chauffeured Transportation, Inc. The Surface Transportation Board has tentatively approved this transaction, stating it aligns with the public interest. Comments on the deal are invited until February 24, 2025; if none are received, the approval will become final on February 25, 2025. Avalon plans to maintain the current workforce of Rose and aims to improve service efficiency by integrating Rose's services with its own.

The Surface Transportation Board has tentatively approved the acquisition of Echo Windy City, LLC, an interstate motor passenger carrier, by TBL Group, Inc., a company that owns several similar carriers. This acquisition will allow Echo Windy to expand its services to include interstate passenger transportation. If no opposing comments are submitted by April 7, 2025, the approval will become final on April 8, 2025. The Board determined that the transaction would benefit the public interest without adversely affecting competition or employees.

SRC Railway LLC, a noncarrier company, has announced its plan to lease and operate a 4.25-mile stretch of rail line called the Strasburg Line in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, from the Strasburg Rail Road Company. This action is part of a related notice that allows SRC to continue to control SRC Railway LLC once it starts functioning as a Class III rail carrier. The company assures that its annual revenue from this operation will not exceed $5 million, keeping it from advancing to a Class I or II rail carrier status. Any challenges to this lease exemption must be submitted by January 12, 2021, with the exemption's effective date being January 20, 2021.

Louisiana Southern Railroad, L.L.C. (LAS), a small rail company, has filed a notice to continue leasing and operating about 165.8 miles of rail lines from the Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCS). The lease agreements have been in place since 2005 and were recently amended to extend until November 2034. LAS must meet certain conditions, such as informing employees and unions about the transaction, because their annual revenues exceed $5 million. However, LAS has requested a waiver for the 60-day advance notice requirement, which will be decided separately. The document mentions the possibility of legal challenges but notes that LA's operations are exempt from environmental and historic preservation reporting.

Dakota Northern Railroad, Inc. (DN), a small Class III railroad, plans to lease and operate two rail lines from BNSF Railway Company in North Dakota. The rail lines extend 59.84 miles near Grafton, Walhalla, and St. Thomas, ND. DN is continuing an existing lease and expects to finalize the new lease terms before the current one expires on January 31, 2021, without any interchange commitments. The Surface Transportation Board notes that the transaction may proceed from January 29, 2021, and it won't lead to DN becoming a larger Class I or II rail carrier.

Mingus Mountain Railroad, LLC (MMRL) has filed a notice to acquire and operate a 38.74-mile rail line from Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad, L.C. (CACR) in Arizona. MMRL is not a carrier yet but plans to run regular train services and acquire additional trackage rights after this transaction, becoming a Class III rail carrier. They assure that their annual earnings will not exceed $5 million, preventing them from becoming a larger Class I or II carrier. The transaction could be finalized by March 30, 2025, unless issues arise with the details provided in the notice.

North Florida Industrial Railroad, LLC (NFIR) has submitted a notice to lease and operate approximately 4,891 feet of inactive railroad track in Columbia County, Florida. This track connects the North Florida Mega Industrial Park with a rail line run by Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad. The lease will help the park's tenants by facilitating the shipment of goods. NFIR states that its projected revenues will remain under $5 million and that this arrangement will not affect its status as a Class III rail carrier. This plan is exempt from environmental and historic preservation reviews.

Arkansas Southern Railroad, L.L.C. (ARS) has filed for an exemption to extend and amend its lease agreements with The Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCS) for two railroad lines. The amendments, agreed upon in July 2020, will extend the lease until November 30, 2034, and include a commitment related to train interchange. ARS confirms this transaction won't increase their annual revenues beyond $5 million or change their carrier classification. Petitions to challenge the exemption can be submitted, with the earliest transaction effective date being March 14, 2021.

Land Rush Rail Corporation (LRRC), a non-carrier company, filed for an exemption to lease and operate a 37.26-mile rail line in Kansas and Oklahoma, previously under Blackwell Northern Gateway Railroad's control. This transition follows a Federal Railroad Administration emergency order that stopped BNGR's operations, granting a temporary license to Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad to manage the line. LRRC's annual revenue from this transaction is projected not to exceed $5 million, and the transaction may proceed on or after March 20, 2025, unless revoked. The exemption is categorized as environmentally and historically negligible, exempting it from broader regulatory reviews.

Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad, Inc. (CORP) plans to lease and operate a section of railroad line from the Union Pacific Railroad Company, totaling about 27.58 miles in Oregon. This transaction is set to occur after February 8, 2025, following the required notice period and certification. CORP's expected annual revenues from this operation will exceed $5 million, necessitating advance notices to affected employees and labor unions. The agreement includes an interchange commitment, and interested parties can file petitions related to the exemption process.