News Release - 12-15UPDATED USER-FEE SCHEDULE


SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD UPDATES ITS USER-FEE SCHEDULE

The Surface Transportation Board (Board) announced today its latest update of fees the public must pay to file certain cases and pleadings with the Board. While almost half of the Board's user fees remain unchanged, the other half will increase slightly following the agency's annual application of its updating factors, as required by regulation. However, the Board's decision maintains the current $350 fee charged to shippers to file a railroad rate or unreasonable practice complaint, both of which the Board formally reduced last year, as well as the current $150 fee to file an expedited small rate case. The Board is required to implement modest increases—an approximately 3-percent increase in full cost levels for the agency's fee and sub-fees items—because two of its three overhead cost factors have increased. Because of these overhead costs, 64 of 125 fee or sub-fee items will cost slightly more, while 61 items or sub-items remain unchanged. Notably, 76 percent of the user-fee items either remain unchanged or will increase by $100 or less. To see the updated user-fee schedule adopted in the Board's decision in Regulations Governing Fees for Services Performed in Connection with Licensing and Related Services—2012 Update, EP 542 (Sub-No. 20), click here. ###