FOR RELEASE
Contact: Dennis Watson
11/07/2001 (Wednesday)
(202) 565-1596
No. 01-57
FIRS 1 (800) 877-8339
www.stb.gov


Surface Transportation Board Determines No Further Action Necessary Concerning TTX's Existing Equipment Pooling Authority


Surface Transportation Board (Board) Chairman Linda J. Morgan announced today that the Board has decided that further agency monitoring of the TTX Company's (TTX) activities in establishing a railroad equipment "pool," to be used by individual railroads under TTX's existing equipment pooling authority, is no longer warranted. The Board reached its decision following its most recent attempt to seek public input on whether any of TTX's activities in this regard may require an oversight action by the agency.



In a 1994 decision[FOOTNOTE 1: In the case entitled TTX Company, et al.–Application for Approval of the Pooling of Car Service with Respect to Flat Cars, Finance Docket No. 27590 (Sub-No. 2), issued August 31, 1994] approving a 10-year extension of TTX's authority to pool railroad equipment, the former Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), whose authority was transferred to the Board in 1996, required its Office of Compliance and Enforcement (OCE) to monitor TTX's operations and to report on any problems at the end of the third and seventh years of the 10-year extension period. To carry out that responsibility, the Board requested public input on TTX's activities.



The Board had sought comments at the end of the third year and, as none were received, took no further action. Relative to the seventh year, in a decision issued on July 31, 2001, the Board again sought comments, and none were filed. The Board accordingly determined in today's decision that no further agency action to monitor TTX's activities is warranted and ordered that monitoring during the remainder of the 10-year term of the pooling authority be discontinued.



The Board decision issued today in the case entitled TTX Company, et al.--Application for Approval of the Pooling of Car Service with Respect to Flat Cars, Finance Docket No. 27590 (Sub-No.2), fulfills the requirement established by the ICC to monitor TTX's activities in the third and seventh years of the 10-year extension period expiring September 30, 2004. A printed copy of the Board's decision is available for a fee by contacting Da-2-Da Legal, Room 405, 1925 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006, telephone (202) 293-7776, or via http://Da_To_Da@Hotmail.com. The decision is also available for viewing and downloading via the Board's website at http://www.stb.dot.gov.



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