Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 236 (Thursday, December 11, 2025)

[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 236 (Thursday, December 11, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 57519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-22504]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. 36722 (Sub-No. 1)]


Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad Company--Amended Trackage 
Rights Exemption--Cedar River Railroad Company

    Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad Company (CCP) has filed a 
verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(7) to acquire 
limited local trackage rights over a line of railroad of Cedar River 
Railroad Company (CEDR),\1\ between milepost 41.5 in Charles City, 
Iowa, and milepost 85.0 in London Township, Minn. (the Line), a 
distance of approximately 43.5 miles.\2\
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    \1\ The verified notice states that CCP and CEDR are indirect 
rail carrier subsidiaries of Canadian National Railway Company 
(CNR), whose U.S. rail carrier subsidiaries (including CCP and CEDR) 
are held directly or indirectly by CNR's wholly owned subsidiary 
Grand Trunk Corporation. See Can. Nat'l Ry.--Control--Ill. Cent. 
Corp., 4 S.T.B. 122 (1999); see also Ill. Cent. Corp.--Control--CCP 
Holdings, Inc., FD 32858 (STB served May 14, 1996).
    \2\ As explained by CCP in its verified notice, CCP operates 
approximately 725 miles of rail line between Chicago, Ill., and 
Council Bluffs/Sioux City, Iowa, and CEDR owns approximately 100 
miles of rail line extending north from Cedar Falls, Iowa, through 
Charles City, to Glenville, Minn. The verified notice states that 
CEDR and CCP connect at Mona Junction in Cedar Falls.
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    According to the verified notice, CCP acquired overhead trackage 
rights on CEDR's rail line between Mona Junction and Charles City in 
2023.\3\ CCP states that, on November 3, 2025, it entered into an 
amended trackage rights agreement with CEDR to permit CCP to acquire 
extended, limited local trackage rights over the Line so that CCP may 
operate trains with its own crews to and from an ethanol facility of 
Absolute Energy LLC (or any successor entity) on CEDR's line at Mona/
St. Ansgar, Iowa, as well as to serve other facilities on CEDR's line 
that tender or receive ``co-load'' traffic in blocks of at least 25 
cars that are combined into unit trains for movement to or from a 
single off-line location. CCP states that the trackage rights are 
intended to provide operational flexibility and reliability in service 
to customers.\4\
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    \3\ See Chi., Cent. & Pac. R.R.--Trackage Rts. Exemption--Cedar 
River R.R., FD 36722 (STB served Sept. 15, 2023) (acquiring overhead 
trackage rights over approximately 41.5 miles of rail line owned by 
CEDR between milepost 0.0 at Mona Junction and milepost 41.5 in 
Charles City).
    \4\ CCP states that the amended trackage rights agreement also 
provides for Iowa Northern Railway Company (IANR), a CCP/CEDR 
affiliate, to obtain new trackage rights over CEDR's line that 
overlap with the trackage rights currently held and to be obtained 
by CCP. The IANR trackage rights transaction is the subject of a 
separate proceeding. See Iowa N. Ry.--Trackage Rts. Exemption--Cedar 
River R.R., Docket No. 36869.
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    The transaction may be consummated on or after December 25, 2025, 
the effective date of the exemption (30 days after the verified notice 
was filed).
    As a condition to this exemption, any employees affected by the 
acquisition of the trackage rights will be protected by the conditions 
imposed in Norfolk & Western Railway--Trackage Rights--Burlington 
Northern, Inc., 354 I.C.C. 605 (1978), as modified in Mendocino Coast 
Railway--Lease & Operate--California Western Railroad, 360 I.C.C. 653 
(1980).
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the exemption 
under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed at any time. The filing of a 
petition to revoke will not automatically stay the effectiveness of the 
exemption. Petitions for stay must be filed no later than December 18, 
2025 (at least seven days before the exemption becomes effective).
    All pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD 36722 (Sub No. 1), must 
be filed with the Surface Transportation Board either via e-filing on 
the Board's website or in writing addressed to 395 E Street SW, 
Washington, DC 20423-0001. In addition, a copy of each pleading must be 
served on CCP's representative, Thomas J. Litwiler, Fletcher & Sippel 
LLC, 29 North Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606-3208.
    According to CCP, this action is categorically excluded from 
environmental review under 49 CFR 1105.6(c) and from historic 
preservation reporting requirements under 49 CFR 1105.8(b).
    Board decisions and notices are available at www.stb.gov.

    Decided: December 8, 2025.

    By the Board, Anika S. Cooper, Chief Counsel, Office of Chief 
Counsel.
Brendetta Jones,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2025-22504 Filed 12-10-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P