[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 201 (Friday, October 17, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62518-62519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-24731]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[Docket No. AB 1000 (Sub-No. 3X); Docket No. AB 290 (Sub-No. 369X)]


Georgia Southwestern Railroad, Inc.--Discontinuance of Service 
Exemption--in Schley and Sumpter Counties, Ga.; Central of Georgia 
Railroad Company--Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in Schley and 
Sumpter Counties, Ga

    Central of Georgia Railroad Company (CGA) and Georgia Southwestern 
Railroad, Inc. (GSWR) (collectively, applicants) have jointly filed a 
verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR part 1152 subpart F--Exempt 
Abandonments and Discontinuances of Service for each carrier to 
discontinue service over a 16.5 mile portion of rail line known as the 
Ellaville line between milepost 45.0 near Ellaville, Schley County, 
Ga., and milepost 61.5 near Americus, Sumpter County, Ga. (the Line). 
Applicants state that the Line is a remaining portion of a CGA-owned 
rail line extending between Ochillee and Americus, Ga., that is leased 
to GSWR. The Line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Codes 
31719 and 31806.
    Applicants have certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over 
the Line for at least two years; (2) no overhead traffic has moved over 
the Line for at least two years and overhead traffic, if any, could be 
transported over other rail routes; (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 
or with any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor of 
complainant within the two-year period; and (4) the requirements at 49 
CFR 1105.12 (newspaper publication) and 49 CFR 1152.50(d)(1) (notice to 
governmental agencies) have been met.
    As a condition to this exemption, any employee adversely affected 
by the discontinuance of service shall be protected under Oregon Short 
Line Railroad--Abandonment Portion Goshen Branch Between Firth & Ammon, 
in Bingham & Bonneville Counties, Idaho, 360 I.C.C. 91 (1979). To 
address whether this condition adequately protects affected employees, 
a petition for partial revocation under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) must be 
filed.
    Provided no formal expression of intent to file an offer of 
financial assistance (OFA) to subsidize continued rail service has been 
received, this exemption will be effective on November 18, 2014, unless 
stayed pending reconsideration. Petitions to stay that do not involve 
environmental issues and formal expressions of intent to file an OFA to 
subsidize continued rail service under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2) \1\ must be 
filed by October 27, 2014.\2\ Petitions to reopen must be filed by 
November 6, 2014, with the Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street 
SW., Washington, DC 20423-0001.
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    \1\ Each OFA must be accompanied by the filing fee, which is 
currently set at $1,600. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).
    \2\ Because applicants are seeking to discontinue service, not 
to abandon the line, trail use/rail banking and public use 
conditions are not appropriate. Likewise, no environmental or 
historic documentation is required here under 49 CFR 1105.6(c) and 
49 CFR 1105.8(b), respectively.
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to 
applicants' representatives: For CGA, William A. Mullins, Baker & 
Miller PLLC, 2401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Suite 300, Washington, DC 
20037; for GSWR, Eric M. Hocky, Clark Hill PLC, One Commerce Square, 
2005 Market Street, Suite 1000, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
    If the notice contains false or misleading information, the 
exemption is void ab initio.
    Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at 
``WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.''

    Decided: October 14, 2014.


[[Page 62519]]


    By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Brendetta S. Jones,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2014-24731 Filed 10-16-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P