Opinion ID: 363964
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: conclusion

Text: 35 We believe that the railroads are not entitled by § 11501, formerly § 13(5), to place changes in intrastate rates into effect by filing them with the Commission under § 10707. Rather, federal authority to affect intrastate rates is confined to the power of the Commission to prescribe rates after a full hearing. Adopting this construction, however, we do not imply that the Commission should ignore the urgency which prompted Congress to enact the 1976 amendments. It is plain that in giving the ICC exclusive authority Congress intended that it move expeditiously in prescribing rates after the statutory exhaustion period. The substantive inquiry called for when intrastate rates recurrently lag behind general interstate rate increases is straightforward. The interstate rate will ordinarily already have been found just and reasonable. The Commission may confine the hearing to the ostensible justifications for the varying intrastate rate. We contemplate that the Commission will devise appropriately expedited procedures to avoid all escapable delay. 45 36 Affirmed.