Search Results for agency_names:"Surface Transportation Board"

The Surface Transportation Board has issued a final rule to adjust civil monetary penalties for inflation, as mandated by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. This rule is effective from January 14, 2021, and the adjustments are based on changes in the Consumer Price Index. The decision to implement this without a public comment period is due to the lack of discretion allowed by Congress in setting penalty levels, which are determined by a statutory formula. The rule does not impose any new information collection requirements.

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.

Arkansas Louisiana & Mississippi Railroad Co. (ALM) has filed a notice to discontinue rail service on a 9.32-mile line in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana. This decision is due to the line having no local traffic since before 2014, and any other traffic can be rerouted. Employees affected by the discontinuance will be protected under specific conditions, and financial assistance options for continued service are available until February 28, 2025. If there are no objections, the service discontinuance will take effect on March 20, 2025.

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.

Farmrail System, Inc. has submitted a notice of exemption to continue controlling Land Rush Rail Corporation (LRRC) once LRRC becomes a Class III railroad. This relates to LRRC's plan to lease and operate a rail line owned by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Blackwell Industrial Authority. The line does not connect with Farmrail's other railroads, which exempts it from certain approval requirements. The transaction involves Class III carriers only, meaning employee labor protections typically required for larger transactions do not apply. If all information is accurate, the earliest the transaction may proceed is March 20, 2025.

The Surface Transportation Board has announced a vacancy on the Passenger Railroad Advisory Committee (PRAC) for a representative from a state that funds intercity passenger rail. They are seeking nominations from the public to fill this position by February 27, 2025. The PRAC advises the Board on topics like improving passenger rail service and reducing conflicts between passenger and freight railroads. Members of the committee serve in a representative capacity and do not receive salaries, but may receive travel reimbursements in cases of hardship.

Grainbelt Corporation, a smaller railroad company, has applied for an exemption to extend its use of tracks owned by BNSF Railway Company in Oklahoma and Texas. This extension allows Grainbelt to transport trains for BNSF customers and access a specific facility in Oklahoma until March 2026. The Surface Transportation Board notes that employees affected by this change will receive protections, and any challenges to the exemption need to be filed before May 1, 2025. Additionally, this action is environmentally cleared and doesn't require historic preservation reports.

Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) has reported that it has gained temporary rights to use a section of track owned by BNSF Railway Company. This particular agreement allows UP to transport ballast trains, which are used for maintenance work, over a 51.7-mile stretch of rail in Oklahoma and Texas. The temporary rights will last until the end of 2021, and UP has stated that these actions are exempt from environmental and historical preservation reviews. If anyone believes this notice contains false information, they can petition to revoke the exemption, but such petitions will not delay the exemption's start date unless filed by a certain deadline.

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.

BNSF Railway Company, a major rail carrier, has filed for an exemption to acquire temporary rights to use two rail lines owned by Union Pacific Railroad Company in California. These rights allow BNSF to move trains with ballast materials between locations near Stockton and Keddie. The agreement is set to expire on December 31, 2021, and the transaction can begin after January 27, 2021. BNSF has ensured that its actions meet certain regulatory conditions and has filed a related petition about the temporary nature of these rights.