STB

Late last week, the United States Senate unanimously approved S. 808, the Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act of 2015.

It was a busy day for railroad-related legislation yesterday, with the United States Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee approving two bills with a railroad focus by a voice vote. The respective bills are S. 808, the Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act of 2015 and S. 650, the Railroad Safety and Positive Train Control Extension Act.

On December 31, the Department of Transportation’s Surface Transportation Board (STB) said it issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that proposes new regulations to require Class I railroads and the Chicago Transportation Coordination Office, through its Class I members, to report certain service performance metrics to the STB on a weekly basis.

The Department of Transportation’s Surface Transportation Board (STB) said it will hold a hearing on Thursday, April 10 on recent railroad service issues, review proposed solutions to existing service problems, and also discuss additional options to improve service.

The Department of Transportation’s Surface Transportation Board (STB) recently introduced its adoption of final rules establishing disclosure requirements for transactions involving interchange agreements.

The Department of Transportation’s Surface Transportation Board (STB) last week came out with a unanimous decision regarding Rate Regulation Reforms, Ex Parte 715, which it said adopts revised rules to its railroad rate-reasonableness procedures as part of an ongoing effort to augment its rate regulation processes, specifically the ones focused on resolving smaller rail rate disputes.

The Surface Transportation Board this week said that it declined a petition filed by the Association of American Railroads (AAR), whom was requesting that the STB institute a rulemaking proceeding to consider reintroducing indirect competition as a fact or in determining the reasonableness of rail rates for coal transportation.

The Department of Transportation’s Surface Transportation Board (STB) last week announced it is requesting the disclosure of additional information in regards to a new rule regarding interchange commitments underlying a lease or rail-line sale filed with the STB, also known as paper barriers.

STB officials wrote in a decision to the two railroads, whom were seeking STB approval for the discussion, that it determined it was a “minor transaction” as defined by its regulations.

In an effort to “further protect shippers from unreasonable rail rates,” the United States Department of Transportation’s Surface Transportation Board (STB) said this week it is rolling out two initiatives to help them on this front.

A Bloomberg report states that the four U.S.-based Class I railroads have asked the U.S. Court of Appeals to reverse the ruling, explaining that it could lead to a cumulative $10 billion or more in potential damages.