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STB

STB Initiates ‘First of its Kind’ Investigation Into Amtrak’s Sunset Limited On-Time Performance

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) on July 11 reported that the standard has been met for initiating an investigation into the on-time performance of Amtrak’s Sunset Limited long-distance service between…

From AAR, a ‘Clarifying Perspective’ on Safety

Regarding to Surface Transportation Board docket Urgent Issues in Freight Rail Service, EP 770; Urgent Issues in Freight Rail Service—Railroad Reporting, EP 770-1, some rail labor unions have been providing…
(PSCC Images Courtesy of Rail Enterprise Group)

PSCC to Acquire 25-Mile Line

Pennsylvania & Southern Railway (PSCC), part of the Rail Enterprise Group, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.41 to purchase approximately 25 miles of rail line…
The Reliable Rail Service Act has been reintroduced by U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kans.). The original debuted in September 2022 but did not move forward.

Senators Reintroduce Reliable Rail Service Act

U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kans.) on June 28 reintroduced the Reliable Rail Service Act to clarify the railroads’ common carrier obligation and establish specific criteria for…

STB Sets 2018-2022 ‘Deflator Factors’

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has published the annual deflator factor and inflation-adjusted railroad revenue thresholds for 2022.

STB Rules in NTEC vs. BNSF Service Case

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) on June 23 issued a preliminary injunction requiring BNSF this year to transport 4.2 million tons of coal from Navajo Transitional Energy Company, LLC’s (NTEC)…
Union Pacific Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales Kenny Rocker

UP’s Rocker Issues State of the Railroad Report

“As we round out June and officially head into summer, I’m encouraged by the progress the team has made to provide a better customer experience for you,” Union Pacific (UP)…
The Dover & Delaware River Railroad (DDRR) runs on more than 100 miles of Norfolk Southern (NS) lines and via trackage rights over New Jersey Transit. Working closely with sister railroad Dover & Rockaway River Railroad, it serves freight shippers across New Jersey.

DDRR Modifies Lease, Trackage Rights Agreements

Dover & Delaware River Railroad (DDRR) has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.41 to amend its existing lease with Norfolk Southern (NS) and existing trackage rights…

STB: Rail Cost Adjustment Factor Set for 3Q23

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has adopted for third-quarter 2023 the rail cost adjustment factor (RCAF), defined as “an index formulated to represent changes in railroad costs incurred by the…

Oberman to AAR: RETAC Charter ‘Does Not Prohibit Discussion of Other Topics’

Surface Transportation Board Chairman Marty Oberman on June 16 responded to a May 31 Association of American Railroads (AAR) letter complaining that discussions at the RETAC (Rail Energy Transportation Advisory…
Commentary

Oberman: STB Remains Actively Involved in Rail Reg Mods

We hosted a June 15 call with Marty Oberman, Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board, on Thursday. We see a reciprocal switching ruling well before year-end, and a bottleneck ruling…
Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department (TTD), AFL-CIO

TTD to Biden: Maintain STB’s Chairmanship

Removing Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chair Martin J. Oberman or failing to reappoint him “would undermine the significant progress the Board has made during his tenure,” Transportation Trades Department (TTD),…
Commentary

BNSF Service Metrics, in Uncomplicated Terms

A little more than a week after its April 26-27, 2022 “Urgent Issues in Freight Rail Service” hearing, the Surface Transportation Board issued updated, more-comprehensive rules for reporting performance and…
GRR received Honorable Mention in Railway Age’s 2021 Short Line and Regional Railroad Awards program.

GRR Enters Asset Purchase Agreement

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) on May 25 granted Grenada Railroad LLC’s (GRR) request for a partial waiver of a 60-day advance notice requirement, allowing the short line to enter…

STB Eyes Alternatives to URCS (UPDATED May 25)

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) in October 2022 sought public comment on a new report that identifies and evaluates alternatives to the Uniform Railroad Costing System (URCS) that could be…
Justin Broyles of R. J. Corman Railroad Group (left) and Robert (Buck) Rogers of CN have joined the Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council.

Broyles, Rogers Join RSTAC

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) on May 23 reported appointing Justin Broyles of R.J. Corman Railroad Group and Robert (Buck) Rogers of CN to the Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council (RSTAC). RSTAC, which was established by the…

Exemplary Executives

RAILWAY AGE, MAY 2023 ISSUE: Railway Age’s 2023 honorees—selected by our subscribers—approach their roles with an entrepreneurial spirit, and a commitment to service, safety and sustainability.
Commentary

UP’s Court Challenge to CPKC: More Than Meets the Eye

On May 3, Union Pacific (UP) filed a case in the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit), captioned Union Pacific Railroad Company v. Surface Transportation Board and United States of…
“The delays and unpredictability seen in rail service are partly the result of the railroads’ embrace of precision-scheduled railroading (PSR) and its drastic reductions in workforce and assets to reduce operating ratios at the expense of service,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack told the Surface Transportation Board members.

USDA to STB: Move ‘Quickly to Strengthen Our Rail System’

“Unfortunately, while rail service has improved from its worst levels last year, it remains inadequate and unreliable for many agricultural shippers,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack told the…
The May 11 hearing, “Getting Back on Track: Exploring Rail Supply Chain Resilience and Challenges,” was led by Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Tex.), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

For House Rail Subcommittee, an Earful on Supply Chain Improvements

The rail industry’s role in overcoming supply chain challenges was the theme of a May 11 hearing of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and…
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