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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 6 (Friday, January 10, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 2062]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00375]

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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. AB 55 (Sub-No. 817X)]

CSX Transportation, Inc.--Abandonment Exemption--in Norfolk 
County, Mass.

    CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT), has filed a verified notice of 
exemption under 49 CFR part 1152 subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to 
abandon a 1.61-mile rail line that runs between milepost QVF 18.01 and 
milepost QVF 19.6, on its Northern Region, Franklin Subdivision in 
Norfolk County, Mass. (the Line).\1\ The Line traverses U.S. Postal 
Service Zip Code 02038.
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    \1\ CSXT initially filed this notice on December 3, 2024, but 
filed a correction on December 20, 2024, to shorten the length of 
the Line and correct the mileposts. The filing date of the 
correction will be considered the official filing date of this 
notice of exemption.
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    CSXT has certified that: (1) no local rail traffic has moved over 
the Line during the past two years; (2) any overhead traffic on the 
Line can be and has been rerouted over other lines; (3) no formal 
complaint filed by a user of rail service on the Line (or by a state or 
local government on behalf of such user) regarding cessation of service 
over the Line is pending with either the Surface Transportation Board 
(Board) or any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor of a 
complainant within the two-year period; and (4) the requirements at 49 
CFR 1105.7(b) and 1105.8(c) (notice of environmental and historic 
reports), 49 CFR 1105.12 (newspaper publication), and 49 CFR 
1152.50(d)(1) (notice to government agencies) have been met.
    As a condition to this exemption, any employee adversely affected 
by the abandonment shall be protected under Oregon Short Line 
Railroad--Abandonment Portion Goshen Branch Between Firth & Ammon, in 
Bingham & Bonneville Counties, Idaho, 360 I.C.C. 91 (1979). To address 
whether this condition adequately protects affected employees, a 
petition for partial revocation under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) must be filed.
    Provided no formal expression of intent to file an offer of 
financial assistance (OFA) has been received,\2\ this exemption will be 
effective on February 9, 2025, unless stayed pending reconsideration. 
Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues \3\ must be 
filed by January 17, 2025. Formal expressions of intent to file an OFA 
under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2) and interim trail use/rail banking requests 
under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be filed by January 21, 2025.\4\ Petitions to 
reopen and requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must 
be filed by January 30, 2025.
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    \2\ Persons interested in submitting an OFA must first file a 
formal expression of intent to file an offer, indicating the type of 
financial assistance they wish to provide (i.e., subsidy or 
purchase) and demonstrating that they are preliminarily financially 
responsible. See 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2)(i).
    \3\ The Board will grant a stay if an informed decision on 
environmental issues (whether raised by a party or by the Board's 
Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA) in its independent 
investigation) cannot be made before the exemption's effective date. 
See Exemption of Out-of-Serv. Rail Lines, 5 I.C.C.2d 377 (1989). Any 
request for a stay should be filed as soon as possible so that the 
Board may take appropriate action before the exemption's effective 
date.
    \4\ Filing fees for OFAs and trail use requests can be found at 
49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25) and (27), respectively.
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    All pleadings, referring to Docket No. AB 55 (Sub-No. 817X), must 
be filed with the Surface Transportation Board either via e-filing on 
the Board's website or in writing addressed to 395 E Street SW, 
Washington, DC 20423-0001. In addition, a copy of each pleading must be 
served on CSXT's representative, Louis E. Gitomer, Law Offices of Louis 
E. Gitomer, LLC, 600 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 301, Towson, MD 21204.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    CSXT has filed a combined environmental and historic report that 
addresses the potential effects, if any, of the abandonment on the 
environment and historic resources. OEA will issue a Draft 
Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) by January 14, 2025. The Draft EA 
will be available to interested persons on the Board's website, by 
writing to OEA, or by calling OEA at (202) 245-0294. If you require an 
accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please call 
(202) 245-0245. Comments on environmental or historic preservation 
matters must be filed within 15 days after the Draft EA becomes 
available to the public.
    Environmental, historic preservation, public use, or trail use/rail 
banking conditions will be imposed, where appropriate, in a subsequent 
decision.
    Pursuant to the provisions of 49 CFR 1152.29(e)(2), CSXT shall file 
a notice of consummation with the Board to signify that it has 
exercised the authority granted and fully abandoned the Line. If 
consummation has not been effected by CSXT's filing of a notice of 
consummation by January 10, 2026, and there are no legal or regulatory 
barriers to consummation, the authority to abandon will automatically 
expire.
    Board decisions and notices are available at www.stb.gov.

    Decided: January 6, 2025.

    By the Board, Valerie O. Quinn, Acting Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2025-00375 Filed 1-8-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P
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