[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 107 (Friday, June 3, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32265-32266]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-13881]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[Docket No. FD 35518]


Maine Northern Railway Company--Trackage Rights Exemption--
Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd.

    Pursuant to a written trackage rights agreement, Montreal, Maine & 
Atlantic Railway, Ltd. (MMA) has agreed to grant overhead trackage 
rights to the Maine Northern Railway Company (MNRC) between Madawaska, 
Me. (at or about milepost 260 on MMA's Madawaska Subdivision) and the 
connection to the Canadian National Railway (CN) in St. Leonard, N.B. 
(at or about milepost 194.1 on CN's Nappadoggin Subdivision), plus 
additional trackage described more completely in the agreement, which 
MNRC attaches to its notice.\1\ MNRC recognizes that, although the 
trackage rights agreement covers some track in Canada, Board 
jurisdiction only extends to the U.S.-Canada border at Van Buren, Me.
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    \1\ Specifically, the agreement includes trackage ``* * * 
between MP 260 and the connection with MMA's Van Buren Subdivision 
at MP 264 and between the connection with MMA's Van Buren 
Subdivision and MP V 22.7 of the Van Buren Subdivision, and between 
MP V 22.7 of the Van Buren Subdivision and the connection with CN at 
MP 194.1 of CN's Nappadoggin Subdivision, including the trackage 
across the Van Buren Bridge, * * * and the track between MP V 22.7 
and MP V 23.72 for headroom * * * .''
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    This trackage rights transaction stems from MMA's attempt to 
abandon a connecting line in Northern Maine. The Board granted an 
application to abandon that line, which is approximately 233 miles 
long, in a decision served in December 2010.\2\ The 233 miles of line 
was then acquired by the State of Maine, by and through its Department 
of Transportation (State), in January 2011. The State has chosen a new 
operator for the 233-mile line, MNRC, and, as part of the State's 
agreement to acquire the line, MMA has agreed to grant these trackage 
rights so that MNRC can access directly CN to the north once MNRC 
begins to operate the line. MNRC plans to file a modified certificate 
under 49 CFR 1150.22 for Board authority to operate the 233-mile 
line.\3\
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    \2\ See Montreal, Me. & Atl. Ry.--Discontinuance of Service and 
Aban.--in Aroostook and Penobscot Cntys, Me., AB 1043 (Sub-No. 1) 
(STB served Dec. 27, 2010).
    \3\ The transaction in Docket No. FD 35518 is related to the 
following concurrently filed pleadings. In Docket No. FD 35519, 
Maine Northern Railway Company--Trackage Rights Exemption--Montreal, 
Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd., MNRC has filed a notice of exemption 
for overhead trackage rights over an MMA line to the south to access 
Eastern Maine Railway (EMR), to which MMA also has agreed as part of 
the State's acquisition of the 233-mile line. In Docket No. FD 
35520, The New Brunswick Railway Company--Continuance in Control 
Exemption--Maine Northern Railway Company, The New Brunswick Railway 
Company (NBRC), the parent company of both EMR and MNRC, has filed a 
petition for exemption to continue in control of EMR and MNRC once 
MNRC becomes a Class III carrier upon filing the modified 
certificate. MNRC and NBRC have asked that the Board make all these 
exemptions effective on June 15, 2011. The Board will address their 
request in its decision in Docket No. FD 35520.
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    The transaction can be consummated on or after June 19, 2011 (30 
days after the exemption was filed), unless otherwise ordered by the 
Board.
    As a condition to this exemption, any employees affected by the 
trackage rights will be protected by the conditions imposed in Norfolk 
and Western Railway--Trackage Rights--Burlington Northern, Inc., 354 
I.C.C. 605 (1978), as modified in Mendocino Coast

[[Page 32266]]

Railway--Lease & Operate--California Western Railroad, 360 I.C.C. 653 
(1980).
    This notice is filed under 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(7). 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 effectiveness of the exemption. Stay petitions 
must be filed by June 13, 2011 (at least 7 days before the exemption 
becomes effective), unless otherwise ordered the Board.
    An original and 10 copies of all pleadings, referring to Docket No. 
FD 35518, 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 Karyn A. Booth, Thompson Hine LLP, Suite 
800, 1920 N Street, NW., Washington, DC 20036.
    Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at http://www.stb.dot.gov.

    Decided: May 31, 2011.

    By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2011-13881 Filed 6-2-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P