[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 157 (Thursday, August 14, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47724-47725]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-19279]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[Docket No. FD 35846]


Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Tex.--
Acquisition Exemption--Union Pacific Railroad Company (Right To Restore 
Rail Service Over a Railbanked Right-of-Way in Harris, Fort Bend, 
Austin, Wharton, and Colorado Counties, Tex.)

    Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Tex. (METRO), a 
noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 
1150.31 to acquire from Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) the right 
to restore rail service over a rail-banked right-of-way between 
milepost 3.48 near Bellaire Junction in Houston to milepost 61.2 near 
Eagle Lake, a distance of 57.72 miles, in Harris, Fort Bend, Austin, 
Wharton, and Colorado Counties, Tex.\1\
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    \1\ A related notice of exemption was filed in Docket No. FD 
35847, Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority--Acquisition Exemption--
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Tex., wherein Fort 
Bend County Toll Road Authority seeks to acquire from METRO the 
right to restore rail service over a portion of the rail-banked 
right-of-way from the Bellaire Branch's milepost 20, approximately 
2,020 feet east of the Harris County and Fort Bend County line, to 
milepost 61.2 near Eagle Lake, in Colorado County, Tex. The related 
notice will be addressed in a separate decision.
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    In an application filed in Union Pacific Railroad Company--
Abandonment--in Harris, Fort Bend, Austin, Wharton, and Colorado 
Counties, Tex., AB 33 (Sub-No. 156) (STB served Aug. 20, 2000), UP was 
authorized to abandon the line between milepost 3.48 and milepost 52.9. 
Subsequent to that filing, UP and Metro reached an agreement for rail 
banking of that segment of the line. The agreement was accompanied by a 
deed without warranty, pursuant to which UP conveyed the railroad 
easement, together with all of UP's other rights, title, and interests 
in the right-of-way to METRO, subject to certain conditions and 
exceptions.
    In a notice of exemption filed in Union Pacific Railroad Company--
Abandonment Exemption--in Colorado and Wharton Counties, Tex., AB 33 
(Sub-No. 253X), (STB served Feb. 15, 2008), UP was authorized to 
abandon the 8.3-mile portion of the line known

[[Page 47725]]

as the Chesterville Industrial Lead, extending from milepost 52.9 near 
Chesterville to milepost 61.2 near Eagle Lake, in Colorado and Wharton 
Counties, Tex. UP and METRO subsequently reached an agreement for rail 
banking of this segment of the line. This agreement was likewise 
accompanied by a deed without warranty, pursuant to which UP conveyed 
the railroad easement, together with all of UP's rights, title, and 
interests in the right-of-way to METRO, subject to certain conditions 
and exceptions.
    Thus, METRO is the interim trail user and obtained from UP its 
consent to seek Board approval to acquire the rights to restore rail 
service over both segments of the line. METRO explains that it did not 
know, at the time, that Board authorization was necessary for it to 
acquire the right to restore rail service. METRO now, after the fact, 
invokes the Board's authorization for that acquisition through a notice 
of exemption.
    In King County, Wash.--Acquisition Exemption--BNSF Railway Company, 
FD 35148, slip op. at 3-4 (STB served Sept. 18, 2009) (King County), 
the Board granted an individual exemption authorizing the conveyance of 
the right to restore rail service on a line to a county, explaining 
that the right to reactivate a rail-banked line is not an exclusive 
right and would not preclude any other service provider from seeking 
Board authorization to restore rail service over the rail-banked line 
if the county did not do so. In King County, slip op. at 4 n.5, both 
the county acquiring the right and the rail carrier selling that right 
``made clear that [the rail carrier did] not wish to retain any rights 
related to the segments.'' Likewise, here, the notice indicates that UP 
did not wish to retain rights related to the line because, by a deed 
without warranty, UP conveyed to METRO both the right-of-way itself and 
the right to restore service over the right-of-way.
    The transaction is expected to be consummated on or after August 
28, 2014 (30 days after the exemption was filed).
    METRO certifies that its projected annual revenues from the 
acquisition involved in this proceeding do not exceed those that would 
qualify it as a Class III carrier.
    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 to stay must be filed no later than August 21, 2014 (at least 
7 days before the exemption becomes effective).
    An original and 10 copies of all pleadings, referring to Docket No. 
FD 35846, 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 Sean McGowan, Thompson Coburn, LLP, 1909 K 
St. NW., Suite 600, Washington, DC 20006.
    Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at 
WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.

    Dated: August 11, 2014.

    By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Derrick A. Gardner,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2014-19279 Filed 8-13-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P