[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 177 (Thursday, September 12, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48205-48206]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-19777]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD


60-Day Notice of Intent To Seek Extension of Approval: Class I 
Railroad Annual Report

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the 
Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board) gives notice of its intent 
to seek approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an 
extension of the collection of Class I Railroad Annual Reports, 
described below.

[[Page 48206]]


DATES: Comments on this information collection should be submitted by 
November 12, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Direct all comments to Chris Oehrle, Surface Transportation 
Board, 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423-0001, or to [email protected]. 
When submitting comments, please refer to ``Paperwork Reduction Act 
Comments, Class I Railroad Annual Report.'' For further information 
regarding this collection, contact Pedro Ramirez at (202) 245-0333 or 
[email protected]. Assistance for the hearing impaired is available 
through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments are requested concerning: (1) The 
accuracy of the Board's burden estimates; (2) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; (3) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on the 
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, when appropriate; and (4) 
whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the Board, including whether the 
collection has practical utility. Submitted comments will be summarized 
and included in the Board's request for OMB approval.
    Description of Collection:
    Title: Class I Railroad Annual Report.
    OMB Control Number: 2140-0009.
    Form Number: R-1.
    Type of Review: Extension without change.
    Respondents: Class I railroads.
    Number of Respondents: Seven.
    Estimated Time per Response: No more than 250 hours. This estimate 
includes time spent reviewing instructions; searching existing data 
sources; gathering and maintaining the data needed; completing and 
reviewing the collection of information; and converting the data from 
the carrier's individual accounting system to the Board's Uniform 
System of Accounts, which ensures that the information will be 
presented in a consistent format across all reporting railroads. In 
prior years, the estimate was higher, but many of these functions have 
become automated and more routine through the respondents' software 
programming. Thus, the time per response has been reduced, with 
additional technological efficiencies anticipated in the future.
    Frequency of Response: Annual.
    Total Annual Hour Burden: No more than 1,750 hours annually.
    Total Annual ``Non-Hour Burden'' Cost: No ``non-hour cost'' burdens 
associated with this collection have been identified. The information 
is submitted electronically.
    Needs and Uses: Annual reports are required to be filed by Class I 
railroads under 49 U.S.C. 11145. The reports show operating expenses 
and operating statistics of the carriers. Operating expenses include 
costs for right-of-way and structures, equipment, train and yard 
operations, and general and administrative expenses. Operating 
statistics include such items as car-miles, revenue-ton-miles, and 
gross ton-miles. These reports are used by the Board, other Federal 
agencies, and industry groups to monitor and assess railroad industry 
growth, financial stability, traffic, and operations, and to identify 
industry changes that may affect national transportation policy. 
Information from these reports is also entered into the Uniform 
Railroad Costing System (URCS), which is the Board's general purpose 
costing methodology. URCS, which was developed by the Board pursuant to 
49 U.S.C. 11161, is used as a tool in rail rate proceedings (in 
accordance with 49 U.S.C. 10707(d)) to calculate the variable costs 
associated with providing a particular service. The Board also uses 
information from this collection to more effectively carry out other 
regulatory responsibilities, including: Acting on railroad requests for 
authority to engage in Board-regulated financial transactions such as 
mergers, acquisitions of control, and consolidations, see 49 U.S.C. 
11323-24; analyzing the information that the Board obtains through the 
annual railroad industry waybill sample, see 49 CFR 1244; measuring 
off-branch costs in railroad abandonment proceedings, in accordance 
with 49 CFR 1152.32(n); developing the ``rail cost adjustment 
factors,'' in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 10708; and conducting 
investigations and rulemakings.
    Under the PRA, a federal agency that conducts or sponsors a 
collection of information must display a currently valid OMB control 
number. A collection of information, which is defined in 44 U.S.C. 
3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c), includes agency requirements that persons 
submit reports, keep records, or provide information to the agency, 
third parties, or the public. Under 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A), federal 
agencies are required to provide, prior to an agency's submitting a 
collection to OMB for approval, a 60-day notice and comment period 
through publication in the Federal Register concerning each proposed 
collection of information, including each proposed extension of an 
existing collection of information.
    Information from certain schedules contained in these reports is 
compiled and published on the Board's website, http://www.stb.gov. 
Information in these reports is not available from any other source.

    Dated: September 9, 2019.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2019-19777 Filed 9-11-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P