[Federal Register: June 30, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 125)]
[Notices]
[Page 35249]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30jn99-149]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[STB Finance Docket No. 33754]
Michigan Southern Railroad Company, Inc.--Acquisition Exemption--
Branch & St. Joseph Counties Rail Users Association, Inc.
Michigan Southern Railroad Company, Inc. (MSRR), a Class III rail
carrier, has filed a notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.41 to
acquire (by purchase) 24.34 miles of rail line owned by the Branch &
St. Joseph Counties Rail Users Association, Inc. (RUA), between
milepost 382.5 at or near Coldwater, MI, and milepost 406.84 at or near
Sturgis, MI. Wabash & Western Railway Co., an affiliate of MSRR, will
continue to operate the line of railroad under the name Michigan
Southern Railroad.1
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\1\ See Southwestern Michigan Railroad Company, Inc.--
Acquisition and Operation Exemption--Branch & St. Joseph Counties
Rail Users Association, Inc., Finance Docket No. 31525 (ICC served
Dec. 14, 1990); Michigan Southern Railroad Company, Inc.--Operation
Exemption--Branch & St. Joseph Counties Rail Users Association,
Inc., Finance Docket No. 31779 (ICC served Dec 14, 1990); and Wabash
& Western Railway Co.--Lease and Operation Exemption--Morris Leasing
Co., Ltd., and Michigan Southern Railroad, Inc., STB Finance Docket
No. 33306 (STB served (Dec. 24, 1996).
MSRR certifies that its annual revenue will not exceed those
that would qualify it as a Class III rail carrier and that its
annual revenues are not projected to exceed $5 million.
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The transaction is scheduled to be consummated on or before July
20, 1999.2
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\2\ In a filing in a separate proceeding (STB Finance Docket No.
33760), MSRR reported that it was attempting to purchase the line
between Coldwater and Sturgis through exercise of an option it
asserts it has. In that proceeding, RUA disputes MSRR's right to
exercise an option to purchase this line and observes that any
authority MSRR obtains in this proceeding (STB Finance Docket No.
33754) under 49 CFR 1150.41 is permissive only. RUA is correct that
the exemption in this proceeding is permissive only and does not
give MSRR the legal right to purchase the line in the absence of an
agreement between the parties or a court order to that effect.
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If this notice contains false or misleading information, the
exemption is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the exemption under 49
U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed at any time. The filing of a petition to
revoke will not automatically stay the transaction. An original and 10
copies of all pleadings, referring to STB Finance Docket No. 33754,
must be filed with the Surface Transportation Board, Office of the
Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20423-
0001. In addition, a copy of each pleading must be served on John D.
Heffner, Esq., REA, CROSS & AUCHINCLOSS, Suite 570, 1707 L Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20036, and Daniel A. LaKemper, Esq., General Counsel,
Pioneer RailCorp, 1318 South Johanson Road, Peoria, IL 61607-1130.
Board decisions and notices are available on our website at
WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.''
By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of
Proceedings.
Decided: June 24, 1999.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-16652 Filed 6-29-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P