[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 135 (Monday, July 15, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57497-57498]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-15452]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. EP 775]


Growth in the Freight Rail Industry

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: The Surface Transportation Board (Board) will hold a public 
hearing on September 16 and 17, 2024, to gather information about 
recent trends and strategies for growth in the freight rail industry. 
The Board requests the attendance of executive-level officials from the 
BNSF Railway Company, Canadian National Railway Company, Canadian 
Pacific Kansas City Limited, CSX Transportation, Inc., Norfolk Southern 
Railway Company, and Union Pacific Railroad Company (collectively, 
``Class I railroads''). The Board also invites and welcomes testimony 
from industry analysts, other rail carriers, rail customers, rail 
suppliers, labor organizations, and other interested parties who can 
contribute to the Board's understanding of how the industry has grown 
and intends to grow in the future.

DATES: The hearing will be held on September 16 and 17, 2024, beginning 
at 9:30 a.m. ET each day, in the Hearing Room of the Board's 
headquarters and will be open for public observation. The hearing will 
also be available for public viewing on YouTube. Any person wishing to 
speak at the hearing must file with the Board a notice of intent to 
participate (identifying the party, proposed speaker, and amount of 
time requested) no later than August 14, 2024. In addition, written 
testimony from hearing participants, and written comments by any other 
interested persons, must be submitted by August 16, 2024

ADDRESSES: The hearing will be held in the Hearing Room of the Board's 
headquarters, located at 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423-0001. 
All filings must be submitted via e-filing on the Board's website at 
www.stb.gov under the docket for EP 775, or in writing addressed to 395 
E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423-0001. Filings will be posted to the 
Board's website and need not be served on the other hearing 
participants, written commenters, or any other party to the proceeding.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonathon Binet at (202) 245-0368. If 
you require an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, 
please call (202) 245-0245.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Freight rail is critically important to the 
nation's economy, and the Board has an interest in the health and 
growth of the industry and the need for rail customers to move their 
goods efficiently and reliably. On the subject of freight rail industry 
growth, while the Board recognizes that some shifts in volume may not 
be primarily within the control of rail carriers, the Board has 
observed that over the past ten years carload volumes have not grown, 
and have in fact decreased.\1\ The Board wishes to explore how industry 
participants are strategizing and innovating to reverse this recent 
trend and achieve freight rail growth. For example, the Board is 
interested in the Class I railroads' short-, medium-, and long-term 
growth strategies, including investments, across traffic types. The 
Board would also like the perspective of short line railroads, who can 
present evidence of their own growth strategies. The Board is also 
interested in shippers' plans or desire for future use of rail, factors 
that may affect their shipment decisions, and what rail carriers are 
doing and can do to increase shippers' use of rail. This hearing 
presents a chance to discuss the opportunities for growth in the 
freight rail industry, as well as the challenges and effects associated 
with a failure to grow.
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    \1\ See Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Rail Freight 
Carloads, https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/RAILFRTCARLOADSD11 
(last updated June 12, 2024) (data collected by U.S. Dep't of 
Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics).
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    The Board will hold a public hearing to explore these topics on 
September 16 and 17, 2024, beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET each day, at its 
headquarters in Washington, DC. In addition to requesting the 
attendance of executive-level officials from the Class I railroads, the 
Board invites and welcomes testimony from industry analysts, other rail 
carriers, rail customers, rail suppliers, labor organizations, and 
other interested parties. Participation at the hearing will be limited 
to those who file notices of intent to participate, and the

[[Page 57498]]

Board will, in a subsequent decision, provide time limits for each 
speaker.
    Board Releases and Transcript Availability: Decisions and notices 
of the Board, including this notice, are available on the Board's 
website at www.stb.gov. The Board will issue a separate notice 
containing the schedule of appearances. A transcript of the hearing 
will be posted on the Board's website once it is available.
    It is ordered:
    1. A public hearing will be held on September 16 and 17, 2024, 
beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET each day, in the Hearing Room of the Board's 
headquarters, located at 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423-0001.
    2. By August 14, 2024, any person wishing to speak at the hearing 
shall file with the Board a notice of intent to participate identifying 
the party, the proposed speaker(s), and the amount of time requested.
    3. Written testimony from hearing participants and written comments 
from any other interested persons must be filed by August 16, 2024.
    4. Filings will be posted to the Board's website and need not be 
served on any hearing participants or other commenters.
    5. This decision is effective on its service date.
    6. This decision will be published in the Federal Register.

    By the Board, Scott M. Zimmerman, Acting Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Tammy Lowery,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2024-15452 Filed 7-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P