[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 170 (Friday, August 30, 1996)] [Notices] [Page 46019] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 96-22202] -----------------------------------------------------------------------1 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION [STB1 Finance Docket No. 33004] Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad Company--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--Consolidated Rail Corporation Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad Company (RBMN), a Class III rail carrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.41: (1) to acquire and operate a total of approximately 104.22 miles of rail line; and (2) to acquire a total of approximately 2.8 miles of incidental trackage rights owned by Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) and located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The proposed transaction was to be consummated on the date of final agreement of the parties but not sooner than August 20, 1996, the effective date of the exemption. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ The ICC Termination Act of 1995, Pub. L. No. 104-88, 109 Stat. 803, which was enacted on December 29, 1995, and took effect on January 1, 1996, abolished the Interstate Commerce Commission and transferred certain functions to the Surface Transportation Board (Board). This notice relates to functions that are subject to Board jurisdiction pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10902. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The lines involved in the acquisition by purchase are described as follows: the Lehigh Line from MP 119.4 at Lehighton Yard to MP 130.5 at a point near M&H Jct., and from MP 130.6 at a point near M&H Jct. to MP 147.1 at Frazer, a distance of 27.6 miles; 2 the Lehigh Line from MP 143.8 at Frazer to MP 161.2 at Laurel Run, a distance of 17.4 miles; the Lehigh Line from MP 164.2 at Laurel Run to MP 212.2 at Mehoopany (500 feet west of the west portal of Vosburg Tunnel), a distance of 48.0 miles; the Taylor Secondary line from MP 136.7 at Taylor to MP 142.5 at Pittston, a distance of 5.8 miles; the Keyser Valley Industrial Track from MP 136.37 at Taylor to MP 140.7 at Cayuga, a distance of 4.33 miles; the Dunmore Running Track from MP 0.0 at Duryea Jct. to MP 0.7 at Topps Gum, a distance of 0.7 miles; and the Kerr- McGee Lead from MP 0.0 at Avoca to MP 0.3 at the end of the track, a distance of 0.3 miles. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \2\ Conrail is conveying only Track No. 1 between MP 119.4 and MP 130.5, retaining Track No. 2; and is conveying incidental trackage rights to RBMN over the single track between MP 130.5 and MP 130.6. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The incidental trackage rights involved are described as follows: the Lehigh Line between MP 130.5 and MP 130.6, a distance of 0.1 miles; between Conrail's interchange with C&S at Packerton Jct., across Conrail's Track No. 2 to a connection with Track No. 1 that RBMN is acquiring, a distance of 0.1 miles; 3 through Taylor Yard to connect the Taylor Secondary Line and the Keyser Valley Line, a distance of approximately 0.8 miles; and from MP 136.7 at Taylor Yard to a point east of Bridge 60 at Scranton, a distance of approximately 1.8 miles.4 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \3\ RBMN has concurrently filed a notice of exemption in Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad Company--Acquisition of Trackage Rights Exemption--C&S Railroad Corporation, Finance Docket No. 33020. \4\ Conrail is in the process of selling the portion of Taylor Yard containing these lines to Delaware and Hudson Railway Company, Inc. (DHC), but will retain permanent trackage rights through Taylor Yard which it will assign, with the consent of DHC, to RBMN. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- If the 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. 33004, must be filed with the Surface Transportation Board, Office of the Secretary, Case Control Branch, 1201 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20423 and served on: Eric M. Hocky, Gollatz, Griffin & Ewing, P.C., 213 West Miner Street, P. O. Box 796, West Chester, PA 19381-0796. Decided: August 22, 1996. By the Board, Joseph H. Dettmar, Acting Director, Office of Proceedings. Vernon A. Williams, Secretary. [FR Doc. 96-22202 Filed 8-29-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4915-00-P