[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 9, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48941-48942]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-20173]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[Docket No. AB 1073X]


Alabama & Florida Railway Co., Inc.--Abandonment Exemption--in 
Geneva, Coffee, and Covington Counties, Ala.

    Alabama & Florida Railway Co., Inc. (A&F) has filed a verified 
notice of exemption under 49 CFR pt. 1152 subpart F--Exempt 
Abandonments to abandon its line of railroad between milepost 581.3 at 
Andalusia, Ala., and milepost 624.2 at Geneva, Ala., a distance of 42.9 
miles, in Geneva, Coffee and Covington Counties, Ala. The line 
constitutes A&F's entire rail system and traverses United States Postal 
Service Zip Codes 36340, 36420, 36421, 36453, 36467, and 36477.
    A&F has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the 
line for at least 2 years; \1\ (2) there is no overhead traffic on the 
line that has been, or would need to be, rerouted as a result of the 
proposed abandonment; (3) no formal complaint filed by a user of rail 
service on the line (or by a state or local government entity acting on 
behalf of such user) regarding cessation of service over the line 
either is pending with the Surface Transportation Board (Board) or with 
any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor of complainant 
within the 2-year period; and (4) the requirements at 49 CFR 1105.7(c) 
(environmental report), 49 CFR 1105.11 (transmittal letter), 49 CFR 
1105.12 (newspaper publication), and 49 CFR 1152.50(d)(1) (notice to 
governmental agencies) have been met.
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    \1\ A&F states that during the past 2 years, there has been no 
local common carrier service provided over the line nor have there 
been any requests for common carrier service during that period, but 
portions of the line have been used for purposes of freight car 
storage. A&F asserts that movement of its empty rail cars for 
storage does not disqualify A&F from the use of the notice of 
exemption process to obtain abandonment authority for the line. See 
Ind. Sw. Ry.--Aban. Exemption--in Posey and Vanderburgh Cntys., 
Ind., AB 1065X, slip op. at 1 n. 1 (STB served Dec. 23, 2010).
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    Where, as here, the carrier is abandoning a line that constitutes 
its entire rail system, the Board does not normally impose labor 
protection under 49 U.S.C. 10502(g), unless the evidence indicates the 
existence of: (1) A corporate affiliate that will continue 
substantially similar rail operations; or (2) a corporate parent that 
will realize substantial financial benefits over and above relief from 
the burden of deficit operations by its subsidiary railroad. See Honey 
Creek R.R.--Aban. Exemption--in Henry Cnty., Ind., AB 865X (STB served 
Aug. 20, 2004); Wellsville, Addison & Galeton R.R.--Aban. of Entire 
Line in Potter & Tioga Cntys., Pa., 354 I.C.C. 744 (1978); and 
Northampton & Bath R.R.--Aban. Near Northampton & Bath Junction in 
Northampton Cnty, Pa., 354 I.C.C. 784 (1978). Because A&F does not 
appear to have a corporate affiliate or parent that will continue 
similar operations or that could benefit from the proposed abandonment, 
employee protection conditions will not be imposed.
    Provided no formal expression of intent to file an offer of 
financial assistance (OFA) has been received, this exemption will be 
effective on September 8, 2011, unless stayed pending reconsideration. 
Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental

[[Page 48942]]

issues,\2\ formal expressions of intent to file an OFA under 49 CFR 
1152.27(c)(2),\3\ and trail use/rail banking requests under 49 CFR 
1152.29 must be filed by August 19, 2011. Petitions to reopen or 
requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed 
by August 29, 2011,\4\ with the Surface Transportation Board, 395 E 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20423-0001.
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    \2\ The Board will grant a stay if an informed decision on 
environmental issues (whether raised by a party or by the Board's 
Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA) in its independent 
investigation) cannot be made before the exemption's effective date. 
See Exemption of Out-of-Serv. Rail Lines, 5 I.C.C. 2d 377 (1989). 
Any request for a stay should be filed as soon as possible so that 
the Board may take appropriate action before the exemption's 
effective date.
    \3\ Each OFA must be accompanied by the filing fee, which 
currently is set at $1,500. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).
    \4\ A&F states that it does not own title to the real property 
comprising the line's right-of-way (ROW); rather, the title remains 
with CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT). According to A&F, when the 
line was sold in 1986 to an unaffiliated short line railroad 
predecessor of A&F (Alabama & Florida Railroad, Inc., or ``A&F 
Railroad''), CSXT's predecessor, Seaboard System Railroad, Inc., 
conveyed to A&F Railroad the common carrier obligation associated 
with the line but retained for itself an ownership interest in the 
underlying real estate and remained as a lessor of the lines's ROW. 
A&F states that it acquired the line from A&F Railroad subject to 
this arrangement with CSXT. Citing Seminole Gulf Railway--
Abandonment Exemption--in Lee County, Florida, AB 400 (Sub-No. 2X) 
(ICC served Dec. 22, 1994), A&F states that it is now seeking 
abandonment authority on the understanding that it is the 
appropriate entity to do so and that CSXT does not need to file its 
own abandonment authority or otherwise join in this request. A&F 
states that it believes that the ROW might be suitable for other 
public purposes, if CSXT is amendable to such an arrangement.
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to A&F's 
representatives: William A. Mullins and Robert A. Wimbish, Baker & 
Miller PLLC, 2401 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Suite 300, Washington, DC 
20037.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    A&F has filed a combined environmental and historic report that 
addresses the effects, if any, of the abandonment on the environment 
and historic resources. OEA will issue an environmental assessment (EA) 
by August 12, 2011. Interested persons may obtain a copy of the EA by 
writing to OEA (Room 1100, Surface Transportation Board, Washington, DC 
20423-0001) or by calling OEA, at (202) 245-0305. Assistance for the 
hearing impaired is available through the Federal Information Relay 
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339. Comments on environmental and 
historic preservation matters must be filed within 15 days after the EA 
becomes available to the public.
    Environmental, historic preservation, public use, or trail use/rail 
banking conditions will be imposed, where appropriate, in a subsequent 
decision.
    Pursuant to the provisions of 49 CFR 1152.29(e)(2), A&F shall file 
a notice of consummation with the Board to signify that it has 
exercised the authority granted and fully abandoned the line. If 
consummation has not been effected by A&F's filing of a notice of 
consummation by August 9, 2012, and there are no legal or regulatory 
barriers to consummation, the authority to abandon will automatically 
expire.
    Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at http://www.stb.dot.gov.

    Decided: August 4, 2011.

    By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2011-20173 Filed 8-8-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P