[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 112 (Wednesday, June 10, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 35494]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12501]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. EP 748]


Indexing the Annual Operating Revenues of Railroads

    The Surface Transportation Board (the Board) is publishing the 
annual inflation-adjusted index and deflator factors for 2019. The 
deflator factors are used by the railroads to adjust their gross annual 
operating revenues for classification purposes. This indexing 
methodology ensures that railroads are classified based on real 
business expansion and not on the effects of inflation. Classification 
is important because it determines the extent to which individual 
railroads must comply with the Board's reporting requirements.
    The Board's deflator factors are based on the annual average 
Railroad Freight Price Index developed by the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics. The Board's deflator factor is used to deflate revenues for 
comparison with established revenue thresholds.
    The base year for railroads is 1991. The inflation-adjusted indexes 
and deflator factors are presented as follows:
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    \1\ In Montana Rail Link, Inc., & Wisconsin Central Ltd., Joint 
Petition for Rulemaking with Respect to 49 CFR Part 1201, 8 I.C.C.2d 
625 (1992), the Board's predecessor, the Interstate Commerce 
Commission, raised the revenue classification level for Class I 
railroads from $50 million (1978 dollars) to $250 million (1991 
dollars), effective for the reporting year beginning January 1, 
1992. The Class II threshold was also raised from $10 million (1978 
dollars) to $20 million (1991 dollars). On May 14, 2020, the Board 
opened a rulemaking proceeding and invited comment on issues related 
to the Class I carrier revenue threshold determination in response 
to a petition for rulemaking. Mont. Rail Link, Inc.--Pet. For 
Rulemaking--Classification of Carriers, EP 763 (STB served May 14, 
2020).

       Railroad Inflation-Adjusted Index and Deflator Factor Table
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     Year                          Index       Deflator
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1991..........................................       409.50   \1\ 100.00
1992..........................................       411.80        99.45
1993..........................................       415.50        98.55
1994..........................................       418.80        97.70
1995..........................................       418.17        97.85
1996..........................................       417.46        98.02
1997..........................................       419.67        97.50
1998..........................................       424.54        96.38
1999..........................................       423.01        96.72
2000..........................................       428.64        95.45
2001..........................................       436.48        93.73
2002..........................................       445.03        91.92
2003..........................................       454.33        90.03
2004..........................................       473.41        86.40
2005..........................................       522.41        78.29
2006..........................................       567.34        72.09
2007..........................................       588.30        69.52
2008..........................................       656.78        62.28
2009..........................................       619.73        66.00
2010..........................................       652.29        62.71
2011..........................................       708.80        57.71
2012..........................................       740.61        55.23
2013..........................................       764.19        53.53
2014..........................................       778.41        52.55
2015..........................................       749.22        54.60
2016..........................................       732.38        55.85
2017..........................................       758.95        53.90
2018..........................................       801.61        51.03
2019..........................................       825.94        49.52
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Application of the annual deflator factors results in the following 
annual revenue thresholds:

                       Railroad Revenue Thresholds
------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Year                  Factor       Class I      Class II
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015...........................       0.5460   457,913,998    36,633,120
2016...........................       0.5585   447,621,226    35,809,698
2017...........................       0.5390   463,860,933    37,108,875
2018...........................       0.5103   489,935,956    39,194,876
2019...........................       0.4952   504,803,294    40,384,263
------------------------------------------------------------------------


DATES: The inflation-adjusted indexes and deflator factors are 
effective January 1, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pedro Ramirez at (202) 245-0333. 
Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal 
Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
    Board decisions and notices are available at www.stb.gov.

    Decided: June 4, 2020.

    By the Board, Dr. William J. Brennan, Director, Office of 
Economics.
Kenyatta Clay,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2020-12501 Filed 6-9-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P