FOR RELEASE
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
03/12/2012 (Monday)
Eric Weiss
No. 12-4


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



SPEAKERS' SCHEDULE FOR MARCH 22 HEARING ON BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY ACQUISITION OF BNSF


The Surface Transportation Board today announced a schedule of speakers' appearances and their time allocations for the Board's March 22, 2012 public hearing to explore the impact of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.'s (Berkshire) acquisition of the BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) on certain costing determinations. Berkshire paid $43 billion for the 2010 acquisition of BNSF. The Board will look at the effect of this price on its annual Uniform Rail Costing System and revenue-adequacy findings for BNSF.


The hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Board's Hearing Room on the 1st floor of the agency's headquarters at Patriots Plaza I, 395 E Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. The hearing will be webcast on the agency's website, www.stb.dot.gov.


SCHEDULE OF APPEARANCES / TIME ALLOTTED

Panel I: Members of Congress
The Honorable Al Franken (tentative) / as needed

Panel II: Shipper Interests
Western Coal Traffic League, et al.: Thomas D. Crowley, John W. Wilson, John H. LeSeur / 45 minutes

Panel III: Shipper Interests
Alliance For Rail Competition, et al.: Terry C. Whiteside, John M. Cutler, Jr. / 10 mins.

Consumers United for Rail Equity: Michael F. McBride / 10 mins.

National Association of Wheat Growers: Wayne O. Hurst / 5 mins.

Panel IV: Freight Railroads
BNSF Railway Company: Thomas N. Hund, Richard E. Weicher, Robert M. Jenkins III, Roman L. Weil, Kevin Neels, Michael R. Baranowski / 60 mins.

Panel V: Railroad Interests
Association of American Railroads: John T. Gray / 10 mins.

Panel VI: Rebuttal
Western Coal Traffic League, et al.: (to be determined) / 15 mins.


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