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An official website of the United States government
Below are press releases issued by the Surface Transportation Board since the beginning of 2019. Press releases issued prior to 2019 are available here.
12/04/2020 (Friday)
No. 20-18
Contact: Janie Sheng, Michael Booth (202) 245-1760
The Board announced that its staff will hold a technical conference concerning a new approach its Office of Economics has developed for possible use in considering class exemption and revocation issues. The technical conference will be held virtually via Zoom on December 18, 2020, at 10:00 AM ET. [Click for full press release.]
10/30/2020 (Friday)
No. 20-17
Contact: Janie Sheng, Michael Booth (202) 245-1760
On October 30, 2020, the Surface Transportation Board’s Office of Environmental Analysis issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in Docket No. FD 36284 for the proposed Uinta Basin Railway in Carbon, Duchesne, Uintah, and Utah Counties, Utah. [Click for full press release.]
10/28/2020 (Wednesday)
No. 20-16
Contact: Janie Sheng, Michael Booth (202) 245-1760
The Surface Transportation Board today announced that it is actively monitoring any rail service disruptions caused by Hurricane Zeta. The National Hurricane Center forecasts hurricane conditions, especially along the coast of Louisiana, beginning on Friday.
The Board is prepared to utilize its emergency service authorities pursuant to 49 U.S.C § 11123 if a “failure of traffic movement exists which creates an emergency situation of such magnitude as to have substantial adverse effects on shippers, or on rail service in a region of the United States.” [Click for full press release.]
10/07/2020 (Wednesday)
No. 20-15
Contact: Janie Sheng, Michael Booth (202) 245-1760
The Surface Transportation Board today announced that it is actively monitoring any rail service disruptions caused by Hurricane Delta. The National Hurricane Center forecasts hurricane conditions, especially along the coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi, beginning on Friday.
The Board is prepared to utilize its emergency service authorities pursuant to 49 U.S.C § 11123 if a “failure of traffic movement exists which creates an emergency situation of such magnitude as to have substantial adverse effects on shippers, or on rail service in a region of the United States.” [Click for full press release.]
10/01/2020 (Thursday)
No. 20-14
Contact: Janie Sheng, Michael Booth (202) 245-1760
The Surface Transportation Board announced today that it has made its annual determination of revenue adequacy for the Nation’s Class I freight railroads for 2019. The Board found that five Class I railroads (BNSF Railway Company, CSX Transportation, Inc., Norfolk Southern Combined Railroad Subsidiaries, Soo Line Corporation, and Union Pacific Railroad Company) were revenue adequate for 2019. [Click for full press release.]
09/30/2020 (Wednesday)
No. 20-13
Contact: Janie Sheng, Michael Booth (202) 245-1760
The Surface Transportation Board today announced that it is seeking public comment concerning a new approach its Office of Economics (OE) has developed for possible use in considering class exemption and revocation issues. [Click for full press release.]
09/15/2020 (Tuesday)
No. 20-12
Contact: Janie Sheng, Michael Booth (202) 245-1760
The Surface Transportation Board announced today that it is actively monitoring any rail service disruptions caused by Hurricane Sally. The National Hurricane Center forecasts hurricane conditions today for the Mississippi and Alabama coastlines and the western Florida Panhandle. The Board is prepared to utilize its emergency service authorities pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 11123 if a “failure of traffic movement exists which creates an emergency situation of such magnitude as to have substantial adverse effects on shippers, or on rail service in a region of the United States.” [Click for full press release.]
09/10/2020 (Thursday)
No. 20-11
Contact: Janie Sheng, Michael Booth (202) 245-1760
On September 10, 2020, the Surface Transportation Board’s Office of Environmental Analysis issued a Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment (DSEA) in the pending rail line abandonment proceeding, Consolidated Rail Corporation-Abandonment Exemption-in Hudson County, N.J., Docket No. AB 167 (Sub-No. 1189X), in which Conrail seeks authority to abandon the Harsimus Branch, a 1.36-mile rail line in Jersey City, N.J. [Click for full press release.]
09/03/2020 (Thursday)
No. 20-10
Contact: Janie Sheng, Michael Booth (202) 245-1760
The Surface Transportation Board today announced the adoption of a final rule improving its Waybill Sample data collection by creating a more robust dataset for decision-making and analyses, without adding undue burden on railroads. [Click for full press release.]
08/26/2020 (Wednesday)
No. 20-09
Contact: Janie Sheng, Michael Booth (202) 245-1760
The Surface Transportation Board is actively monitoring any rail service disruptions caused by Hurricane Laura. [Click for full press release.]
08/24/2020 (Monday)
No. 20-08
Contact: Janie Sheng, Michael Booth (202) 245-1760
The Surface Transportation Board and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today sent a joint letter to each of the Class I railroads regarding recent issues related to the effects of the COVID-19 national emergency on the rail industry and service reliability. The letters stress the importance of crew availability, safety, equipment resources, and communication between rail carriers and shippers as the nation works to restore jobs and promote economic recovery. [Click for full press release.]
08/03/2020 (Monday)
No. 20-07
Contact: Janie Sheng, Michael Booth (202) 245-1760
The Surface Transportation Board today announced the adoption of a final rule to establish a streamlined approach for pleading market dominance in rate reasonableness proceedings. The final rule provides an option for simplifying the market dominance inquiry which otherwise can be costly and time-consuming, especially in smaller cases. Today’s decision is part of the Board’s continuing effort to make its rate review procedures more accessible, efficient, and transparent. [Click for full press release.]
07/22/2020 (Wednesday)
No. 20-06
Contact: Janie Sheng, Michael Booth (202) 245-1760
Surface Transportation Board Vice Chairman Martin Oberman today announced that he will recuse himself from participating in the proceeding Petition for Declaratory Order and Preliminary Injunction, Docket No. FD 36420, filed on July 21, 2020, by the Commuter Rail Division of the Regional Transportation Authority d/b/a Metra. Based on his previous service as chairman of Metra, Vice Chairman Oberman determined that a recusal is appropriate in this case.
The petition for declaratory order in Docket No. FD 36420 may be viewed on the Board’s website here.
05/21/2020 (Thursday)
No. 20-05
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
The Surface Transportation Board announced today that it is adopting a final rule amending its railroad performance data reporting rules to include certain chemical and plastics traffic as a distinct reporting category to the Class I railroads’ weekly reporting for the “cars-held” metric. The cars-held metric tracks the average number of loaded and empty railcars that have not moved for 48 hours or longer. [Click for full press release.]
05/15/2020 (Friday)
No. 20-04
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
The Surface Transportation Board today announced that it will permit informal discussions with stakeholders on the Board’s proposed rule in Final Offer Rate Review, Docket No. EP 755 and comments received in that docket regarding arbitration and other rate review options for smaller cases. The Board is waiving the general prohibition on ex parte communications in that docket and will permit informal communications with the Board Members and staff between June 1, 2020, and July 15, 2020. [Click for full press release.]
04/30/2020 (Thursday)
No. 20-03
Contact: Michael Booth (202) 245-1760
The Surface Transportation Board today announced that it is issuing a series of decisions on demurrage and accessorial rules and charges, continuing its efforts to promote transparency, timeliness, and mutual accountability by rail carriers and the shippers and receivers they serve. Informed by the significant number of comments received during the notice-and-comment process, the Board issued three related decisions today. [Click for full press release.]
02/28/2020 (Friday)
No. 20-02
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
The Surface Transportation Board announced today that it is adopting a final rule clarifying the regulation of demurrage. [Click for full press release.]
01/06/2020 (Monday)
No. 20-01
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
The Surface Transportation Board announced that, effective today, Board Member Martin J. Oberman has been designated as the agency’s Vice Chairman. [Click for full press release.]
12/13/2019 (Friday)
No. 19-21
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
The Surface Transportation Board has issued a Notice of Availability of the Final Scope of Study (Final Scope) for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) being prepared in connection with the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition’s proposal to construct and operate an approximately 85-mile rail line in Utah, Carbon, Duchesne, and Uintah Counties, Utah. [Click for full press release.]
12/12/2019 (Thursday)
No. 19-20
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
The Surface Transportation Board has posted the 2018 Public Use Waybill Sample and the 2018 Uniform Railroad Costing System (URCS) data. [Click for full press release.]
12/04/2019 (Wednesday)
No. 19-19
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
The Surface Transportation Board announced today that it is adopting a final rule amending its regulations related to the National Trails System Act (Trails Act). [Click for full press release.]
11/29/2019 (Friday)
No. 19-18
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
The Surface Transportation Board today is proposing revised regulations to improve the utility of the Waybill Sample reporting that railroads submit to the Board. Building on the work of the agency’s Rate Reform Task Force (RRTF), the Board is proposing these amendments to enhance the Waybill Sample as part of its continued effort to make the agency’s rate review procedures more accessible, efficient, and transparent. [Click for full press release.]
11/22/2019 (Friday)
No. 19-17
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
The Surface Transportation Board today announced that the public hearing in Railroad Revenue Adequacy, Docket No. EP 722, and Hearing on Revenue Adequacy, Docket No. EP 761, will now be a two-day long hearing to take place on December 12-13, 2019, due to the number of notices of intent to participate filed with the Board. [Click for full press release.]
11/20/2019 (Wednesday)
No. 19-16
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
The Surface Transportation Board announced today the launch of its redesigned website and electronic filing (E-filing) system. The redesigned website and E-filing system will provide greater convenience to our stakeholders and the public, including eliminating the need for e-filers to create a log-in account. [Click for full press release.]
11/12/2019 (Tuesday)
No. 19-15
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
In November 12, 2019, the Surface Transportation Board’s Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA) issued a Cultural Resources Effects Assessment Addendum Report (Effects Addendum Report) in the pending rail-line abandonment proceeding, Consolidated Rail Corporation-Abandonment Exemption-in Hudson County, N.J., Docket No. AB 167 (Sub-No. 1189X), in which Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) seeks to abandon the Harsimus Branch, a 1.36-mi. rail line in Jersey City, N.J. [Click for full press release.]
10/07/2019 (Monday)
No. 19-14
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
The Surface Transportation Board today announced that it is issuing a series of decisions on demurrage and accessorial rules and charges, continuing its efforts to improve dispute resolution processes, promote transparency, and make the agency more accessible. [Click for full press release.]
09/30/2019 (Monday)
No. 19-13
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
The Surface Transportation Board today issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would amend the Board’s railroad performance data reporting rules. Specifically, the Board proposes to include chemical and plastics traffic as a distinct reporting category. [Click for full press release.]
09/30/2019 (Monday)
No. 19-12
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
The Surface Transportation Board today announced a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to enhance its methodology for determining the railroad industry’s cost of capital by incorporating an additional model, called “Step MSDCF,” into the calculation. [Click for full press release.]
09/27/2019 (Friday)
No. 19-11
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
The Surface Transportation Board is pleased to announce that it has made significant progress in its information security program and practices. The Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General (DOT OIG) recently issued its audit report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 and recognized the STB’s significant efforts to mature its security program since DOT OIG’s first audit of the STB as a fully independent agency in FY 2017. [Click for full press release.]
09/12/2019 (Thursday)
No. 19-10
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
The Surface Transportation Board today announced that it will hold a public hearing on Thursday, December 12, 2019, on revenue adequacy issues raised by the Board’s Rate Reform Task Force (RRTF) in its report issued on April 25, 2019 (RRTF Report). [Click for full press release.]
09/12/2019 (Thursday)
No. 19-9
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
The Surface Transportation Board today is proposing new rules as part of its effort to make its rate review procedures more accessible, efficient, and transparent, including for small customers. Building on the work of the agency’s Rate Reform Task Force (RRTF), the Board is proposing rules to establish a new rate review option for smaller cases, and provide a streamlined market dominance process that could be used in any rate review proceeding. [Click for full press release.]
09/05/2019 (Thursday)
No. 19-8
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
The Surface Transportation Board announced today that it has made its annual determination of revenue adequacy for the Nation’s Class I freight railroads for 2018. The Board found that CSX Transportation, Inc., Soo Line Corporation, and Union Pacific Railroad Company were “revenue adequate” for 2018. [Click for full press release.]
05/03/2019 (Friday)
No. 19-7
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0238
The Surface Transportation Board today announced that the public hearing in Oversight Hearing on Demurrage and Accessorial Charges, Docket No. EP 754, will now be a two-day long hearing on May 22-23, 2019, due to the number of notices of intent to participate filed with the Board. [Click for full press release]
04/29/2019 (Monday)
No. 19-6
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0238
The Surface Transportation Board announced today that its Rate Reform Task Force has completed a staff report providing its recommendations for possible changes to the rate review methodologies and processes used by the Board. The Board simultaneously is making the report available to the public. [Click for full press release]
04/08/2019 (Monday)
No. 19-5
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0238
The Surface Transportation Board announced today details for the agency’s upcoming public hearing on railroad demurrage and accessorial charges to be held on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, beginning at 9:30 a.m., in the Main Hearing Room (Room 101) of the U.S. International Trade Commission, located at 500 E Street, S.W., Washington, D.C., near the Board’s headquarters. The Board will receive information from railroads, shippers, receivers, third-party logistics providers, and other interested parties about their recent experiences with demurrage and accessorial charges, including matters such as reciprocity, commercial fairness, the impact of operational changes on such charges, capacity issues, and effects on network fluidity. [Click for full press release]
03/22/2019 (Friday)
No. 19-4
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0238
The Surface Transportation Board announced today that it is adopting a final rule to improve the Board’s payment, filing, and service procedures for its stakeholders. [Click for full press release]
03/20/2019 (Wednesday)
No. 19-3
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0238
The Surface Transportation Board today announced that it will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, on railroad demurrage and accessorial charges. Railroads, shippers, third-party logistics providers, and other interested parties will be invited to speak at the hearing and report their experience with demurrage and accessorial charges, including matters such as reciprocity, commercial fairness, operational and capacity issues, and effects on network fluidity. [Click for full press release]
01/30/2019 (Wednesday)
No. 19-2
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0238
The Surface Transportation Board announced today that Board member Patrick J. Fuchs has been designated as the agency’s Vice Chairman. Mr. Fuchs was sworn in as a Board member on January 17, 2019. [Click for full press release]
01/29/2019 (Tuesday)
No. 19-1
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0238
Chairman Ann Begeman announced the swearing in of Mr. Patrick J. Fuchs on January 17, 2019, and of Mr. Martin J. Oberman on January 22, 2019, as Members of the Board following confirmation by the United States Senate on January 2, 2019. [Click for full press release]
