[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 173 (Friday, September 6, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54955-54956]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-21747]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[Docket No. FD 35757]


Mississippi Central Railroad Co.--Lease and Change in Operators 
Exemption--Line of Mississippi-Alabama Railroad Authority

    Mississippi Central Railroad Co. (MSCI), a Class III rail carrier, 
has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.41 to lease 
and operate a 41.5-mile line of railroad between milepost IC-529.5 
(Corinth, Miss.) and milepost IC-571.0 (Red Bay, Ala.), in Alcorn, 
Prentiss, Tishomingo, and Itawamba Counties, Miss., and Franklin 
County, Ala. (the Line), owned by the Mississippi-Alabama Railroad 
Authority (MARA). MSCI also proposes to acquire approximately 2.2 miles 
of incidental trackage rights for interchange over Norfolk Southern 
Railroad Company's (NS) line between milepost IC-529.5 and milepost IC-
527.3 (at NS's Corinth yard).
    According to MSCI, it has reached agreement with both Redmont 
Railway Company, Inc. (RRC), the current operator of the Line,\1\ and 
MARA, the owner of the Line, to permit MSCI to acquire RRC's leasehold 
interest in the Line, and for MSCI to lease and operate the Line 
between Corinth and Red Bay. MSCI states that RRC will also assign its 
incidental trackage rights between milepost IC-527.3 and milepost IC-
529.5. MSCI states that, pursuant to its agreements with RRC and MARA, 
MSCI will lease, operate, maintain, and perform all common carrier 
services on the Line.\2\ Further, MSCI states that it will interchange 
with NS and Kansas City Southern Railroad Company at Corinth.
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    \1\ RRC obtained Board authority to lease and operate the Line 
in 1995. See Redmont Ry.--Lease & Operation Exemption--Certain Lines 
of Miss.-Ala. R.R. Auth., FD 32616 (STB served Mar. 1, 1995).
    \2\ Under 49 CFR 1150.42(b), a change in operators requires that 
notice be given to shippers. MSCI certifies that it served a copy of 
its verified notice on Sunshine Mills, Inc., the only shipper known 
to have shipped over the Line in the last two years.
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    MSCI certifies that its projected annual revenues as a result of 
this transaction will not exceed those that would qualify it as a Class 
III rail carrier and further certifies that the projected annual 
revenue from the Line, together with MSCI's projected annual revenue, 
will not exceed $5 million. MSCI states that the proposed lease and 
operation of the Line does not involve a provision or agreement that 
would limit future interchange with a third-party connecting carrier.

[[Page 54956]]

    MSCI states that it intends to consummate the transaction on or 
about September 12, 2013, and that operations under this exemption will 
begin thereafter. However, at the request of the Board, MSCI 
supplemented and clarified its verified notice of exemption on August 
22, 2013, and that date therefore is considered the filing date of 
MSCI's verified notice of exemption. As a result, the transaction may 
not be consummated until September 21, 2013 (30 days after the verified 
notice was filed).
    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. 
Petitions for stay must be filed no later than September 13, 2013 (at 
least seven days before the exemption becomes effective).
    An original and 10 copies of all pleadings, referring to Docket No. 
FD 35757, must be filed with the Surface Transportation Board, 395 E 
Street SW., Washington, DC 20423-0001. In addition, one copy of each 
pleading must be served on Daniel A. LaKemper, General Counsel, 
Mississippi Central Railroad Co., 1318 S. Johanson Road, Peoria, IL 
61607.
    Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at 
WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.

    Decided: September 3, 2013.

    By the Board,
Rachel D. Campbell,
Director, Office of Proceedings.
Raina S. White,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2013-21747 Filed 9-5-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P