[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
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Year Index Deflator
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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
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Application of the annual deflator factors results in the following
annual revenue thresholds:
Railroad Revenue Thresholds
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Year Factor Class I Class II
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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
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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