FOR RELEASE
Contact: Dennis Watson (202) 245-0234
08/24/2017 (Thursday)
Michael Higgins (202) 245-0238
No. 17-12


FedRelay 1 (800) 877-8339
www.stb.gov



SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD TO HOLD PUBLIC LISTENING SESSION ON CSX RAIL SERVICE ISSUES


The Surface Transportation Board announced today that it will hold a public listening session on Tuesday, September 12, 2017, to hear from CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSX) about recent rail service problems on its network and its recovery efforts. The listening session will also give rail shippers and other stakeholders the opportunity to report on the repercussions of these rail service problems and their experiences with CSX’s actions to restore its service to acceptable levels.


Since mid-July, the Board has been closely monitoring CSX’s performance after widespread service problems resulted from CSX’s implementation of changes to its operating plan. Acting Chairman Ann Begeman has had direct conversations with CSX’s President and CEO, E. Hunter Harrison, about the deterioration in CSX’s service, and all three Board Members have twice written to CSX to express their concerns and request information about CSX’s service recovery plans. As part of the Board’s ongoing efforts to ensure that reliable rail service is restored as quickly as possible, STB staff are holding weekly calls with CSX senior management and receiving weekly service metrics from CSX. The Board has been keeping its Congressional oversight committees and other stakeholders informed of its actions and will continue to address these important service reliability issues in a transparent manner to ensure shippers, carriers, and all interested stakeholders are fully informed about the Board’s actions.


The Board’s Rail Customer and Public Assistance (RCPA) office has been working with affected shippers to resolve acute service disruptions and continues to be available for this purpose. Requests submitted to RCPA are confidential, and are not made a part of the formal docket established in today’s decision.


The Board will hold a public listening session beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, September 12, 2017, in the Board’s Hearing Room at the agency’s headquarters located at 395 E Street, S.W., in Washington, D.C. The Board will direct CSX to appear at the listening session, and the agency encourages impacted shippers and other railroads to appear as well. Shippers, railroads, and other stakeholders are requested to file with the Board a notice of intent to participate, identifying the party and the proposed speaker, no later than September 7, 2017. The session will be open for public observation.


The Board’s Notice of Public Listening Session in Public Listening Session Regarding CSX Transportation, Inc.’s Rail Service Issues, Docket No. EP 742, and Joint Petition of Foresight Coal Sales, LLC, Sugar Camp Energy, LLC, Williamson Energy, LLC, and Consolidation Coal Company to Address the Adequacy of CSX Transportation’s Coal Transportation Service Originating in the Illinois Basin and Northern Appalachia, Docket No. EP 741, may be viewed and downloaded at www.stb.gov, under "E-LIBRARY / Decisions & Notices / 08 / 24 / 17".


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