FOR RELEASE
Contact: Dennis Watson
03/29/2004 (Monday)
(202) 565-1596
No. 04-9
FIRS 1 (800) 877-8339
www.stb.gov


Public & Media Advisory: Surface Transportation Board Provides Schedule of Appearances, Time Allocations & Attendance Instructions for Public & Media Attendance at April 2 Public Hearing in Trenton, N.J. in "Conrail Merger" Oversight Proceeding


Surface Transportation Board Chairman Roger Nober today provided a schedule of speakers' appearances, their time allocations, and instructions for public and media attendance at the STB's April 2, 2004 public hearing concerning the agency's oversight of the "Conrail merger," approved by the agency in July 1998 in the case entitled CSX Corporation and CSX Transportation, Inc., Norfolk Southern Corporation and Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Control and Operating Leases/Agreements--Conrail Inc. and Consolidated Rail Corporation, STB Finance Docket No. 33388 (Sub-No. 91).



The STB will hold the Friday, April 2 public hearing beginning at 12:00 noon in Ceremonial Courtroom #2, Third Floor, Clarkson S. Fisher Federal Building & Courthouse, 402 East State Street, Trenton, New Jersey. Note that this is a room change from Ceremonial Courtroom #1 originally announced as the hearing's site in the STB's Decision No. 13 in STB Docket No. 33388 (Sub-No. 91) issued to the public on March 3, 2004.



INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUBLIC AND MEDIA ATTENDANCE:

• There will be no reserved seating. Given the following procedures, please plan to arrive early enough to be seated no later than 11:45 a.m.

• For security reasons, be prepared to produce photo identification (such as a driver's license), pass through a metal detector, and submit to an inspection of all briefcases, handbags, etc.

• Quiet laptops and tape recorders may be brought into the courtroom, but no provision will be made for the connection of personal computers.

• Cellular telephone use is not permitted in the courtroom. Cellular phones may only be used outside the courtroom.

• The courtroom room complies with the Americans With Disabilities Act.



SCHEDULE OF APPEARANCES

The schedule of speakers' appearances and time allocations (subject to slight change as the situation warrants) is attached. The STB requests that speakers not orally present written submissions filed earlier but, rather, briefly summarize those submissions, augment their content as seen fit, and be prepared to answer questions.



The STB announced its intent to hold public hearings in Trenton and Washington in its Decision No. 12 in STB Finance Docket No. 33388 (Sub-No. 91) issued to the public on February 12, 2004; announced the time and location of the Trenton hearing in its Decision No. 13 issued March 3, 2004; and provided the schedule of speakers in its Decision No. 14 issued March 29, 2004. All three decisions are available for viewing and downloading via the STB's Web site at http://www.stb.dot.gov. Printed copies of the agency's decisions also are available for a fee by contacting ASAP Document Solutions, 9332 Annapolis Rd., Suite 103, Lanham, MD 20706, telephone (301) 577-2600, or via asapmd@verizon.net. A fact sheet is attached.



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ATTACHMENTS (2)
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ATTACHMENT

CSX Corporation and CSX Transportation, Inc., Norfolk Southern Corporation and Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Control and Operating Leases/Agreements--Conrail Inc. and Consolidated Rail Corporation, STB Finance Docket No. 33388 (Sub-No. 91)

SCHEDULE OF APPEARANCES

PARTY / TIME ALLOTTED

PANEL I
Conrail Inc. and Consolidated Rail Corporation (collectively Conrail), CSX Corporation and CSX Transportation, Inc. (collectively CSX), and Norfolk Southern Corporation and Norfolk Southern Railway Company (collectively NS) / 45 minutes
Speakers: Gregory Weber and Ronald Batory on behalf of Conrail, Les Passa on behalf of CSX, and David Brown on behalf of NS

PANEL II
New Jersey Department of Transportation / 15 minutes
Speaker: Mr. John Lettierre, Commissioner of Transportation, or his designee

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey / 15 minutes
Speaker: Paul M. Donovan

North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority / 15 minutes
Speaker: Peter S. Palmer, Chairman of NJTPO

Union County, NJ / 15 minutes
Speaker: James Daley, Director of the Department of Economic Development of Union County

Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation / 5 minutes
Speaker: a PIDC representative (the representative will speak on behalf of PIDC and also on behalf of the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development, and may also speak on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, or may introduce a representative of the City who will present the City's comments)

Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission / 5 minutes
Speaker: Donald S. Shanis, Director of Transportation


PANEL III
The National Industrial Transportation League / 5 minutes
Speaker: not yet determined

Mars Industries, Inc. / 5 minutes
Speaker: Michael H. Klein, President

Madison International Sales Company / 5 minutes
Speaker: Jim Bruno

GROWMARK / 5 minutes
Speaker: Eric M. Hocky or a corporate representative

Resources Warehousing & Consolidation Services, Inc. / 5 minutes
Speaker: Frank V. Folise, owner and principal officer

Novolog Bucks County Inc. / 5 minutes
Speaker: David Reid, President & CEO

SMS Rail Service, Inc. / 5 minutes
Speakers: Fritz R. Kahn and Jeffrey L. Sutch (Mr. Sutch is President of SMS)


PANEL IV
New Jersey Shortline Railroad Association / 5 minutes
Speaker: Bob Bailey, President of NJSLRRA

Southern Railroad Company of New Jersey / 5 minutes
Speaker: Thomas A. Collard

United Transportation Union /5 minutes
Speaker: James R. Cumby

Office of Transportation Technology, Strategy, Planning & Development / 5 minutes
Speaker: Arthur B. Shenefelt, Director of OTTSP&D (Mr. Shenefelt will speak as Chairman of an affiliate, The Bucks HUB Conference)

William R. Wright / 5 minutes

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ATTACHMENT
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FACT SHEET

CSX Corporation and CSX Transportation, Inc., Norfolk Southern Corporation and Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Control and Operating Leases/Agreements--Conrail Inc. and Consolidated Rail Corporation, STB Finance Docket No. 33388 (Sub-No. 91)

On July 23, 1998, the STB approved the "Conrail merger," subject to various conditions, including a five-year general oversight condition. The STB established the five-year oversight so that the agency could assess the merger's implementation and the workings of various other of the agency's conditions.

In its January 21, 2004 "Decision No. 11" in this case, the STB announced that, to allow interested parties an opportunity to express their views on the merger implementation, at least one public hearing would be held prior to June 1, 2004, the fifth anniversary of the merger's consummation. In its February 12, 2004 "Decision No. 12" in this case, the STB announced that a hearing would be held in Trenton, New Jersey on April 2, 2004, and that a hearing would be held in Washington, D.C. on May 3.

Today's hearing in Trenton will deal with the three "shared assets areas" (SAAs) created in connection with the merger. The May 3 hearing in Washington will deal with all aspects of the merger other than the SAAs.

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