[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11043-11044]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-03670]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. FD 36377 (Sub-No. 3)]


BNSF Railway Company--Trackage Rights Exemption--Union Pacific 
Railroad Company

    By petition filed on December 28, 2020, BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) 
requests that the Board partially revoke the trackage rights exemption 
granted to it under 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(7) in Docket No. FD 36377 (Sub-No. 
2), as necessary to permit that trackage rights arrangement to expire 
at midnight on December 31, 2021.
    As explained by BNSF in its verified notice of exemption in Docket 
No. FD 36377 (Sub-No. 2), BNSF and Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) 
entered into an agreement granting BNSF restricted, local trackage 
rights over two rail lines owned by UP between: (1) UP milepost 93.2 at 
Stockton, Cal., on UP's Oakland Subdivision, and UP milepost 219.4 at 
Elsey, Cal., on UP's Canyon Subdivision, a distance of 126.2 miles; and 
(2) UP milepost 219.4 at Elsey, and UP milepost 280.7 at Keddie, Cal., 
on UP's Canyon Subdivision, a distance of 61.3 miles (collectively, the 
Lines). BNSF Verified Notice of Exemption 1 n.1, 2, BNSF Ry.--Trackage 
Rts. Exemption--Union Pac. R.R., FD 36377 (Sub-No. 2). BNSF further 
stated that the trackage rights arrangement is intended to permit BNSF 
to move empty and loaded unit ballast trains to and from the ballast 
pit located at Elsey. Id. BNSF filed its verified notice of exemption 
under the Board's class exemption procedures at 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(7), 
explaining that, because the trackage rights covered by the notice in 
Docket No. FD 36377 (Sub-No. 2) are local rather than overhead rights, 
they do not qualify for the Board's class exemption for temporary 
trackage rights under 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(8). BNSF Verified Notice of 
Exemption 1 n.1, BNSF Ry.--Trackage Rts. Exemption--Union Pac. R.R., FD 
36377 (Sub-No. 2).
    In its petition, BNSF asks the Board to partially revoke the 
exemption as necessary to permit the trackage rights to expire at 
midnight on December 31, 2021, pursuant to the parties' agreement. (See 
BNSF Pet. 1-2); see also BNSF Verified Notice of Exemption Ex. B at 2, 
BNSF Ry.--Trackage Rts. Exemption--Union Pac. R.R., FD 36377 (Sub-No. 
2). BNSF argues that granting this petition will promote the rail 
transportation policy and that the revocation would be consistent with 
the limited scope of the transaction and would not have an adverse 
effect on shippers. (BNSF Pet. 3.) In addition, BNSF asserts that the 
Board has granted similar petitions for partial revocation to permit 
temporary trackage rights to expire, including a petition filed last 
year in Docket No. FD 36377 (Sub-No. 1), involving a prior iteration of 
the trackage rights agreement at issue here. (Id.)

Discussion and Conclusions

    Although BNSF and UP have expressly agreed on the duration of the 
proposed trackage rights agreement, trackage rights approved under the 
class exemption at 1180.2(d)(7) typically

[[Page 11044]]

remain effective indefinitely, regardless of any contract provisions. 
Occasionally, however, the Board has partially revoked a trackage 
rights exemption to allow those rights to expire after a limited time 
period rather than lasting in perpetuity. See, e.g., BNSF Ry.--Trackage 
Rts. Exemption--Union Pac. R.R., FD 36377 (Sub-No. 1) (STB served Mar. 
11, 2020) (granting a petition to partially revoke a trackage rights 
exemption involving the Lines at issue in this case); New Orleans Pub. 
Belt R.R.--Trackage Rts. Exemption--Ill. Cent. R.R., FD 36198 (Sub-No. 
1) (STB served June 20, 2018).
    Granting partial revocation in these circumstances to permit the 
trackage rights to expire at the end of 2021 would eliminate the need 
for BNSF to file a second pleading seeking discontinuance authority 
when the agreement expires, thereby promoting the aspects of the rail 
transportation policy at 49 U.S.C. 10101(2), (7), and (15). Moreover, 
partially revoking the exemption to limit the term of the trackage 
rights would have no adverse impact on shippers because the trackage 
rights at issue are solely to allow BNSF to move empty and loaded 
ballast trains to and from the ballast pit in Elsey for use in BNSF's 
maintenance-of-way projects. (See BNSF Pet. 2.) Therefore, the Board 
will grant the petition and permit the trackage rights exempted in 
Docket No. FD 36377 (Sub-No. 2) to expire at midnight on December 31, 
2021.
    To provide the statutorily mandated protection to any employee 
adversely affected by the discontinuance of trackage rights, the Board 
will impose the employee protective conditions set forth in Oregon 
Short Line Railroad--Abandonment Portion Goshen Branch Between Firth & 
Ammon, in Bingham & Bonneville Counties, Idaho, 360 I.C.C. 91 (1979).
    This action is categorically excluded from environmental review 
under 49 CFR 1105.6(c).
    It is ordered:
    1. The petition for partial revocation of the trackage rights class 
exemption is granted.
    2. As discussed above, the trackage rights in Docket No. FD 36377 
(Sub-No. 2) are permitted to expire at midnight on December 31, 2021, 
subject to the employee protective conditions set forth in Oregon Short 
Line.
    3. Notice of this decision will be published in the Federal 
Register.
    4. This decision is effective on March 25, 2021. Petitions for stay 
must be filed by March 5, 2021. Petitions for reconsideration must be 
filed by March 15, 2021.

    Decided: February 17, 2021.

    By the Board, Board Members Begeman, Fuchs, Oberman, Primus, and 
Schultz.
Tammy Lowery,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2021-03670 Filed 2-22-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P