[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 248 (Thursday, December 27, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 66975]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-31766]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 34118]


The Athens Line, LLC--Lease and Operation Exemption--Norfolk 
Southern Railway Company and Central of Georgia Railroad Company

    The Athens Line, LLC (ABR), a noncarrier, has filed a verified 
notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire by lease and to 
operate adjoining lines of Central of Georgia Railroad Company (CGA) 
and CGA's parent Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS) through an 
operating contract with The Great Walton Railroad Company, Inc. The 
lines extend between CGA milepost F-75.5 at Madison, GA, to CGA 
milepost F-106.3 at Athens, GA,\1\ and NS milepost NE-39.1 at Athens to 
NS milepost NE-32.0 at a point designated as Junior State, GA, a 
distance of approximately 38 miles. The line includes the following 
stations in Georgia: Bishop, Watkinsville, Whitehall, Athens and 
Paradise Valley. NS and ABR intend to interchange at either Paradise 
Valley or Junior State. ABR will grant trackage rights back to NS 
between NS milepost NE-32.0 and milepost NE-37.4 solely for purposes of 
interchange. ABR certifies that its projected annual revenues will not 
exceed $5 million.
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    \1\ ABR states that it understands that the transaction covered 
by this exemption will not create any residual common carrier 
obligation for CGA to resume operation of the Madison-Bishop segment 
of the Madison-Athens line should ABR sometime in the future obtain 
Board authority to discontinue its operations over that segment. See 
Central of Georgia Railroad Company--Discontinuance Exemption--
Operations Between Madison and Bishop, GA, Docket No. AB-290 (Sub-
No. 37X) (ICC served Nov. 3, 1988). (CGA received exemption 
discontinue operations between CGA milepost F-75.5 near Madison and 
milepost F-91.5 at Bishop). Abandonment of the segment would require 
further Board action or exemption.
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    The transaction was scheduled to be consummated on or after 
December 7, 2001, the effective date of the exemption, with ABR's 
assumption of operations scheduled for December 29, 2001.
    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. 34118, must be filed with the Surface Transportation 
Board, Office of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925 K Street, N.W., 
Washington, DC 20423-0001. In addition, one copy of each pleading must 
be served on David C. Reeves, Troutman Sanders LLP, 401 Ninth Street, 
N.W., Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004-2134.
    Board decisions and notices are available on our web site at 
``WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.''

    Decided: December 18, 2001.

    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-31766 Filed 12-26-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P