FOR RELEASE
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
06/05/2006 (Monday)
No. 06-07


FedRelay 1 (800) 877-8339
www.stb.gov
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD TO HOLD JULY 27 PUBLIC HEARING ON RENEWED PETITION OF WESTERN COAL TRAFFIC LEAGUE REGARDING RAILROAD SALE OR LEASE AGREEMENTS & “PAPER BARRIERS”


The Surface Transportation Board announced that the agency will hold a public hearing concerning a renewed petition, filed by The Western Coal Traffic League (WCTL). The hearing will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 27, 2006, in Room 760, the agency’s hearing room, on the 7th Floor of the agency’s headquarters in the Mercury Building, 1925 K Street, NW, Washington, D.C.

WCTL has requested that the STB adopt rules limiting the extent to which agreements for the sale or lease of railroad lines, by larger railroads to existing or newly created short line railroads, may contain “paper barriers” restricting the incentive or ability of a purchaser or tenant to interchange traffic with connecting railroads that could compete with the seller or landlord railroad. The purpose of this hearing is further to explore this topic, to give the STB Members the opportunity to ask questions, and to provide a forum for the expression of views by rail shippers, railroads, and other interested persons, on WCTL’s renewed petition.

The STB announced the July 27 hearing in its “Decision” in the proceeding entitled Review of Rail Access and Competition Issues—Renewed Petition of The Western Coal Traffic League, STB Ex Parte No. 575, issued on June 2, 2006. That decision is available for viewing and downloading via the agency’s Web site at http://www.stb.dot.gov. A printed copy of the STB’s decision also is available for a fee by contacting ASAP Document Solutions, 9332 Annapolis Rd., Suite 103, Lanham, MD 20706, telephone (202) 306-4004, or via asapdc@verizon.net.

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