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”

[STBNews@xxxxxxxxxxx]

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>From the Surface Transportation Board, Washington, D.C.
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      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@xxxxxxxxxxxx


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