[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 217 (Monday, November 13, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77655-77656]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-24944]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. EP 774]


Establishment of the Passenger Rail Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.

ACTION: Notice of establishment of a Federal advisory committee on 
passenger rail service.

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SUMMARY: The Surface Transportation Board (Board) has determined that 
it is necessary and in the public interest to establish a Federal 
advisory committee on passenger rail service.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please direct any questions to Brian 
O'Boyle, Designated Federal Officer, at (202) 245-0364 or 
[email protected]. If you require an accommodation under the 
Americans with Disabilities Act, please call (202) 245-0245.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. Chapter 10, the Board intends to establish a new 
federal advisory committee, the Passenger Rail Advisory Committee (PRAC 
or Committee), to provide advice and recommendations to the Board on 
issues relating to passenger rail service. In accordance with FACA, a 
charter of a newly created Committee has been prepared and will be 
filed with the Board's congressional oversight committees at least 15 
days following the date of publication of this notice, after which the 
Board will issue a decision seeking nominations for individuals to 
serve on the new committee.

Objectives and Duties of the Committee

    The purpose of the PRAC is to provide advice and guidance to the 
Board on passenger rail issues on a continuing basis to help the Board 
better fulfill its statutory responsibilities in overseeing certain 
aspects of passenger rail service. The Committee will provide a forum 
for the Board and stakeholders to discuss passenger rail issues in a 
manner that balances the interests of intercity and commuter rail 
passengers and operators, government entities, freight rail carriers 
and their customers, railway labor, and the general public. The 
Committee will function as a discretionary advisory body and will 
comply with the provisions of FACA and its implementing regulations.
    The Committee is essential to the conduct of agency business, as 
the Board's responsibilities and duties relating to passenger rail have 
expanded and become more defined in recent years. The Committee would 
provide the Board with valuable insight to help it better carry out 
these responsibilities and duties.
    The scope of the Committee's activities shall include providing 
information, advice, and recommendations to the Board on issues 
impacting the development and operation of railroad passenger services, 
including: improving efficiency on passenger rail routes; reducing 
disputes between passenger rail carriers and freight rail hosts 
regarding the use of freight rail carrier-owned facilities and 
infrastructure for passenger service, including passenger on-time

[[Page 77656]]

performance issues; and improving regulatory processes related to 
intercity passenger rail to the benefit of the public, the communities 
served by passenger rail, and the environment. The Board is interested 
in engaging with passenger rail stakeholders including the National 
Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), other intercity passenger rail 
operators, commuter rail operators, states that fund passenger rail, 
freight railroads, passenger rail advocacy groups, and railway labor on 
these passenger rail-related issues. Each Committee meeting will better 
inform the Board as to passenger rail matters.
    The duties of the Committee are solely advisory and will entail 
only the submission of non-binding advice and recommendations to the 
Board. No determinations of fact or policy will be made by the 
Committee, and the Committee will have no decision-making role or 
access to non-public Board information, including the Board's decision-
making process or other confidential information.

Membership of the Committee

    The PRAC shall consist of approximately 18 voting members who will 
comprise a balanced representation of individuals knowledgeable 
regarding passenger rail transportation, freight rail transportation, 
commuter rail operations, and transportation public policy. The voting 
membership shall include no fewer than:
     two representatives from Amtrak;
     two representatives from commuter rail operators whose 
operations use facilities owned and/or utilized by (i) Amtrak, (ii) 
other intercity passenger rail operators, or (iii) rail freight 
operators (for purposes of ensuring geographic diversity within PRAC's 
membership, these representatives cannot be from the same state as any 
of the state representatives described below and cannot be from the 
same state as each other);
     two representatives from existing intercity passenger rail 
operators other than Amtrak, or developers of new intercity passenger 
rail lines other than Amtrak;
     one representative from a state that provides funding for 
intercity passenger rail (for purposes of ensuring geographic diversity 
within PRAC's membership, this representative cannot be from the same 
state as any of the representatives of the commuter rail operators 
described above, or the representative from a state in which the 
intercity passenger rail stations are served only by long-distance 
trains described below);
     one representative from a state in which the intercity 
passenger rail stations are served only by long-distance trains, i.e., 
passenger trains serving the entirety of routes of more than 750 miles 
between endpoints (for purposes of ensuring geographic diversity within 
PRAC's membership, this representative cannot be from the same state as 
any of the representatives of the commuter rail operators described 
above or the representative from the state that provides funding for 
intercity passenger rail described above);
     two representatives from Class I freight railroads;
     one representative from a Class II or Class III freight 
railroad;
     one representative from an organized rail labor 
association;
     two representatives from rail passenger advocacy 
organizations;
     one representative from a rail shipper or customer 
advocacy organization or an individual shipper or customer; and
     three at-large representatives with relevant experience 
(including, but not limited to, individuals involved in the design or 
construction of passenger rail equipment or infrastructure, in the 
provision of passenger rail analytic or consulting services, in 
transportation planning, or in transportation-related public policy 
work).
    All voting members of the Committee shall serve on the Committee in 
a representative capacity on behalf of their respective industry or 
stakeholder group. The Members of the Board shall serve as ex officio 
(non-voting) members. The Chair of the Board may also invite 
representatives from the U.S. Department of Transportation to serve on 
the PRAC in an advisory capacity. These federal governmental 
representatives will serve as ex officio (non-voting) members.
    The PRAC will meet at least twice a year, and meetings will be open 
to the public, consistent with the Government in the Sunshine Act, 
Public Law 94 409 (1976). Information about the PRAC will be posted on 
the Board's website at: https://www.stb.gov/resources/stakeholder-committees/prac/.
    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 1321; 49 U.S.C. 24101.

    Decided: November 6, 2023.

    By the Board, Board Members Fuchs, Hedlund, Oberman, Primus, and 
Schultz.
Kenyatta Clay,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2023-24944 Filed 11-9-23; 8:45 am]
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