[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 31678]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-13493]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[Docket No. FD 35500]


Saratoga and North Creek Railway, LLC--Acquisition and Operation 
Exemption-Delaware and Hudson Railway Company, Inc. d/b/a Canadian 
Pacific

    Saratoga and North Creek Railway, LLC (Saratoga),\1\ a noncarrier, 
has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to 
acquire from Delaware and Hudson Railway Company, Inc. d/b/a Canadian 
Pacific (CP) a permanent and exclusive freight rail easement over, and 
to operate, approximately 16.45-miles of rail line known as the 
Adirondack Branch extending between Adirondack Branch milepost 39.44 at 
or near Saratoga Springs, NY, and Adirondack Branch milepost 55.89 at 
or near Corinth, NY.\2\ In addition, Saratoga states that it will 
acquire approximately 3.2 miles of operating rights for the purpose of 
interchange with CP between Adirondack Branch milepost 39.44 and CP's 
yard at Saratoga Springs located at Canadian Subdivision milepost 
35.\3\ The Town will remain the owner of the tracks and right-of-way.
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    \1\ Saratoga is a limited liability company, wholly owned by San 
Luis & Rio Grande Railroad (SLRG). SLRG is a Class III rail carrier 
and a subsidiary of Permian Basin Railways, Inc., which in turn is 
owned by Iowa Pacific Holdings, LLC.
    \2\ CP sold the underlying track and right-of-way to the Town of 
Corinth, NY (the Town), subject to CP's reservation of an exclusive 
and permanent easement to continue to provide common carrier freight 
service over the line. See The Town of Corinth, NY-Acquisition and 
Operation Exemption-Canadian Pac. Ry., FD 34803 (STB served Jan. 11, 
2006 and Mar. 9, 2006). The transaction was structured so that the 
Town would not incur a freight rail common carrier obligation when 
it purchased those rail line assets from CP. See Me. Dep't of 
Transp.-Aquis. & Operation Exemption-Me. Cent. R.R., 8 I.C.C.2d 835 
(1991). Saratoga is acquiring the easement and the associated 
freight rail common carrier rights and obligations that CP reserved 
for itself at the time of the sale.
    \3\ By letter filed May 18, 2011, Saratoga explains that the 
apparent discrepancy between the mileposts and total mileage arose 
over the years from CP's making changes to the track or right-of-way 
with the result that the distance was shortened and/or the milepost 
at the point of interchange was changed.
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    Saratoga states that it is negotiating the terms of an agreement 
with CP covering its acquisition of the permanent and exclusive freight 
easement and operating rights over CP's reserved operating easement, as 
well as an agreement with the Town for the use of its track and right-
of-way.\4\
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    \4\ While the parties have not completed the agreements, 
Saratoga must acquire sufficient rights to fully meet the common 
carrier obligation being acquired from CP.
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    This transaction is related to two simultaneously filed notices of 
exemption: (1) Docket No. FD 35500 (Sub-No. 1), Saratoga and North 
Creek Railway, LLC-Operation Exemption-Warren County, NY, in which 
Saratoga seeks an exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to operate over 
approximately 39.07 miles of rail line owned by Warren County, NY, 
extending between milepost 55.89 at or near Corinth, NY, and milepost 
94.96 at North Creek, NY; and (2) Docket No. FD 35499, San Luis & Rio 
Grande Railroad-Continuance in Control Exemption-Saratoga and North 
Creek Railway, LLC, in which SLRG seeks an exemption to continue in 
control of Saratoga upon Saratoga's becoming a Class III rail carrier. 
As a result of these transactions, Saratoga will have authority to 
operate from Saratoga Springs to North Creek.
    Saratoga indicates that its agreement with the Town will not permit 
the collecting, sorting, loading, unloading, transferring, or 
transporting of municipal solid waste or construction and demolition 
material.\5\
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    \5\ Saratoga is reminded that it cannot by contract avoid its 
common carrier obligation to transport a commodity over the line.
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    Saratoga certifies that its projected annual revenues as a result 
of this transaction will not result in Saratoga's becoming a Class II 
or Class I rail carrier and will not exceed $5 million.
    Saratoga intends to consummate the transaction in either late June 
or early July 2011. The earliest the transaction may be consummated is 
after the June 15, 2011 effective date of the exemption (30 days after 
the exemption was filed).
    If the verified 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 effectiveness of the 
exemption. Stay petitions must be filed no later than June 8, 2011 (at 
least 7 days before the exemption becomes effective).
    An original and 10 copies of all pleadings, referring to Docket No. 
FD 35500, must be filed with the Surface Transportation Board, 395 E 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20423-0001. In addition, a copy of each 
pleading must be served on John D. Heffner, John D. Heffner, PLLC, 1750 
K Street, NW., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006.
    Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at http://www.stb.dot.gov.


    Decided: May 26, 2011.

    By the Board.
Rachel D. Campbell,
Director, Office of Proceedings.
Andrea Pope-Matheson,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2011-13493 Filed 5-31-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P