[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 47 (Monday, March 12, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11085-11086]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-4421]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Ex Parte No. 671]


Rail Capacity and Infrastructure Requirements

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: The Surface Transportation Board will hold a public hearing 
beginning at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 11, 2007, at its new offices in 
Washington, DC. The purpose of the public hearing will be to examine 
issues related to rail traffic forecasts and infrastructure 
requirements. Persons wishing to speak at the hearing should notify the 
Board in writing.

DATES: The public hearing will take place on Wednesday, April 11, 2007. 
Any person wishing to speak at the hearing should file with the Board a 
written notice of intent to participate, and should identify the party, 
the proposed speaker, the time requested, and the topic(s) to be 
covered, as soon as possible but no later than March 21, 2007. Each 
speaker should also file with the Board his/her written testimony by 
April 4, 2007. Written submissions by interested persons who do not 
wish to appear at the hearing will also be due by April 4, 2007.

ADDRESSES: All notices of intent to participate and testimony may be 
submitted either via the Board's e-filing format or in the traditional 
paper format. Any person using e-filing should comply with the Board's 
http://www.stb.dot.gov Web site, at the ``E-FILING'' link. Any person 
submitting a filing in the traditional paper format should send an 
original and 10 copies of the filing to: Surface Transportation Board, 
Attn: STB Ex Parte No. 671, 395 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20423-
0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph H. Dettmar, (202) 245-0395. 
[Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at: (800) 877-8339.]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In recent years, there has been growing 
recognition that rail capacity in the United States has become 
constrained. Those capacity constraints come at the same time as many 
forecasts predict that rail freight demands will continue to grow over 
the next twenty years. Railroads experienced a more than 50% increase 
in traffic from 1990 to 2003, and traffic is projected to continue to 
increase as the economy grows.\1\ Some forecasters predict that 
multimodal freight tonnage in the United States will rise by nearly 70% 
between 1998 and 2020.\2\ The convergence of increased demand with 
constrained capacity has highlighted the need to address what further 
infrastructure investment will be required to meet these demands. While 
some railroads have announced significant infrastructure investment 
plans, some observers have questioned whether that investment alone 
will be sufficient to meet the rail transport needs of a growing 
economy.
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    \1\ Congressional Budget Office Report, Freight Rail 
Transportation: Long-Term Issues, at 4-5 (January 2006).
    \2\ Id. at 6, citing, Federal Highway Administration, Freight 
Analysis Framework (October 2002).
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    In regulating the railroad industry, the Board is called upon, 
among other things, to ensure the development and continuation of a 
sound rail transportation system with effective competition and 
coordination between rail carriers and other modes. Pursuant to that 
objective, the Board will hold a public hearing as a forum for 
interested persons to provide views and information about: Freight 
traffic forecasts; the extent of the capacity constraints and the 
ability of the railroads to meet the rising demand; the infrastructure 
investment needed to ensure that the Nation's freight rail system 
continues to operate in an efficient and reliable manner; possible 
solutions to the challenges presented by growing rail traffic and 
limited capacity; and the potential role of public-private partnerships 
and innovative financing tools in meeting these challenges. We look 
forward to hearing from all parties affected by these issues, including 
carriers, shippers, port administrators, state entities and federal 
agencies.
    Date of Hearing. The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, 
April 11, 2007, in the 1st floor hearing room at the Board's new 
headquarters at 395 E Street, SW., in Washington, DC, and will 
continue, with short breaks if necessary, until every person scheduled 
to speak has been heard.
    Notice of Intent To Participate. Any person wishing to speak at the 
hearing should file with the Board a written notice of intent to 
participate, and should identify the party, the proposed speaker, the 
time requested, and topic(s)

[[Page 11086]]

to be covered, as soon as possible, but no later than March 21, 2007.
    Testimony. Each speaker should file with the Board his/her written 
testimony by April 4, 2007. Also, any interested person who wishes to 
submit a written statement without appearing at the April 11 hearing 
should file that statement by April 4, 2007.
    Board Releases and Live Audio Available Via the Internet. Decisions 
and notices of the Board, including this notice, are available on the 
Board's Web site at http://www.stb.dot.gov. This hearing will be 
available on the Board's Web site by live audio streaming. To access 
the hearing, click on the ``Live Audio'' link under ``Information 
Center'' at the left side of the home page beginning at 9 a.m. on April 
11, 2007.
    This action will not significantly affect either the quality of the 
human environment or the conservation of energy resources.

    Dated: March 6, 2007.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary. 4
 [FR Doc. E7-4421 Filed 3-9-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P