FOR RELEASE
Contact: Dennis Watson
01/14/2002 (Monday)
(202) 565-1596
No. 02-2
FIRS 1 (800) 877-8339
www.stb.gov


Surface Transportation Board Issues Notice to Facilitate Meetings for Resolving
Rail Car "Interchange" Issues

Surface Transportation Board (Board) Chairman Linda J. Morgan announced today that the Board has issued a decision in response to a request by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) to facilitate the process, initiated pursuant to an earlier Board decision, of convening a meeting or series of meetings among railroads, shippers, and other interested parties concerning delays in the interchange of rail cars between railroads. A proceeding had been instituted by the Board relative to this issue in response to a petition for declaratory order (where the agency states its position in a matter of dispute), but, in a decision served December 10, 2001, the Board held up the case and asked the AAR to convene the meetings to attempt to resolve the matter in the private sector.

In response to a letter filed by AAR on December 21, 2001, the Board is issuing a Federal Register notice asking interested parties to file, with both the agency and with AAR, notices of intent to participate, along with a brief summary of the parties’ positions and preliminary recommendations. To foster practical solutions dealing with interchange issues in general, and not the collective discussion of specific rates for specific situations, the Board encouraged participation by individuals with railroad operational backgrounds. The Board announced that, after receiving parties’ notices of intent, the agency would adopt a new procedural schedule for convening the meetings and reporting back to the agency.

The Board issued its decision today in Union Pacific Railroad Company — Petition for Declaratory Order — Unilaterally Imposed Interchange Charges, STB Docket No. 42052. A printed copy of the 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 available for viewing and downloading via the Board’s Website at http://www.stb.dot.gov. Federal Register publication is expected later this week.
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