[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 36 (Tuesday, February 24, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9296-9299]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-4832]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board
[STB Ex Parte No. 575]


Review of Rail Access and Competition Issues

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: At the request of Congress, the Surface Transportation Board 
(Board) is commencing a review of access and competition issues in the 
rail industry. The Board is requesting comments on these matters. One 
or more oral hearings will also be held.

DATES: An oral hearing will be held beginning on April 2, 1998. Written 
notices of intent to participate as parties of record and requests to 
speak at the oral hearing are due by March 3, 1998. Shortly thereafter, 
we will issue a preliminary service list and will request written 
corrections to the list by letter or FAX. We will issue a corrected 
service list if necessary. Written comments are due by March 26, 1998. 
By March 27, 1998, a scheduling order for the hearing will be served 
and published on our web page (www.stb.dot.gov). To facilitate our 
communication with the parties, we encourage everyone to submit FAX and 
E-mail addresses in their notices of intent to participate.

ADDRESSES: Send an original and 10 copies of notices of intent to 
participate and comments, referring to ``STB Ex Parte No. 575,'' to: 
Surface Transportation Board, Office of the Secretary, Case Control 
Unit, 1925 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20423. The comments must be 
served on the persons identified as ``parties of record'' on the 
service list.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph H. Dettmar, (202) 565-1600. 
[TDD for the hearing impaired: (202) 565-1695.]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Chairman of the Senate Committee on 
Commerce and the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation 
and Merchant Marine

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have requested that the Board hold hearings and develop a record on 
access and competition issues in the rail industry, stating in their 
request that, ``[t]he information obtained through a Board inquiry on 
rail access and competition could be very useful as Congress conducts 
proper oversight of the rail industry and works to address rail service 
issues.'' See the attached copy of their February 12, 1998 letter to 
Board Chairman Linda Morgan. Accordingly, we are commencing this 
examination of rail access and competition and other proposals related 
to those issues.
    We will hold a public hearing beginning at 10:00 A.M. on April 2, 
1998, at the Board's offices at 1925 K Street N.W., Washington, D.C., 
to provide interested persons an opportunity to testify on these 
issues. The hearings may be continued on April 3, 1998, if necessary. 
We encourage parties with similar interests or positions to file joint 
statements and to designate a single spokesperson to provide oral 
testimony. The Board will group speakers and allocate times as 
necessary to expedite the hearing. To meet the responsibility entrusted 
to us by Congress, we invite comments, data, studies, and proposals for 
legislative action.\1\ Following the initial hearing, and any 
subsequent hearings we may decide to hold, we will take further action 
based upon the record made in the comments and at the hearing(s).

    \1\ As noted in the letter from Senators McCain and Hutchison, 
the Board has ongoing proceedings specifically addressing the rail 
service problems in the western United States. Thus, parties are 
urged to focus their submissions in the proceeding we are initiating 
here on the broader issues of rail access and competition generally, 
rather than on the specific existing service problems in the West.
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    Decided: February 20, 1998.

    By the Board, Chairman Morgan and Vice Chairman Owen.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.

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[FR Doc. 98-4832 Filed 2-23-98; 8:45 am]
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