SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

The Surface Transportation Board today announced that, in a next status report due on February 1, 2024, it will require additional information from the National Passenger Railroad Corporation (Amtrak), CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSX), Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS), and the Port of Mobile regarding the status of their settlement agreement to allow Amtrak to operate service in the Gulf Coast region.  The Board has also scheduled a hearing for February 14, 2024, for the parties to report on the settlement status more fully.

In March 2021, Amtrak filed an application with the Board seeking an order requiring CSX and NS to allow Amtrak to operate additional intercity passenger trains over its freight rail lines between New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama.  The Board then held a multi-day hearing on the matter during 2022.  On November 22, 2022, before the Board rendered its decision on the matter, the Board granted a motion from the parties to hold the proceeding in abeyance while the parties worked to implement a settlement agreement.

The Board set two previous dates for reporting the status of the settlement, and then parties are scheduled to file an additional status report by February 1, 2024.  The Board’s announcement today requires that, because more than 14 months have elapsed since the announcement of a settlement, the February report must include detailed information regarding the status of settlement implementation and describe any issues that remain outstanding.  The Board may determine that the February 14 hearing can be cancelled if the status report is sufficient.

The hearing is scheduled for February 14, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. EST.  Only the settling parties are required to appear.  However, the Board invites the City of Mobile to participate if it so chooses. Further details on the hearing will be provided in the hearing notice to be published in the Federal Register.

Today’s notice in Application of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation Under 49 U.S.C. § 24308(e)—CSX Transportation, Inc., and Norfolk Southern Railway Company, Docket No. FD 36496, may be viewed and downloaded here.

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