DOT REPORT #41 - August, 1997 ================================================================= A compilation of rail notices published by the US Department of Transportation between August 1 - 15, 1997. Includes abandonment, operation and control notices, FRA orders and related petitions. Condensed from original. ================================================================= CONTENTS: Genesee & Wyoming, Inc.--Continuance in Control Exemption-- Portland & Western Railroad, Inc. I & M Rail Link, LLC--Trackage Rights Exemption--The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System or Relief From the Requirements of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 236 CBEC Railway, Inc.--Trackage Rights Exemption--Great Western Railway Company of Iowa, L.L.C. Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co.--Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties, WI Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System or Relief From the Requirements of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 236 Petitions for Waivers of Compliance Owensville Terminal Company, Inc--Abandonment Exemption--in Gibson and Posey Counties, IN Environmental Impact Statement on Southwest Corridor Transit Improvements in Cleveland, Ohio Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway, LLC--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company Kauri, Inc. and StatesRail LLC--Continuance in Control--Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway LLC Corpus Christi Terminal Railroad, Inc.--Lease and Operation Exemption--Port of Corpus Christi Authority of Nueces County, Texas, Union Pacific Railroad Company, Southern Pacific Transportation Company, The Texas Mexican Railway Company and The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company Genesee & Wyoming Inc.--Continuance in Control Exemption--Corpus Christi Terminal Railroad, Inc. Paducah & Louisville Railway--Trackage Rights Exemption--CSX Transportation, Inc. Union Pacific Railroad Company--Discontinuance of Trackage Rights and Abandonment--In Natrona and Converse Counties, WY Arkansas-Oklahoma Railroad Company--Trackage Rights Exemption-- Union Pacific Railroad Company Union Pacific Railroad Company--Trackage Rights Exemption-- Southern Pacific Transportation Company ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Finance Docket No. 32759] Genesee & Wyoming, Inc.--Continuance in Control Exemption-- Portland & Western Railroad, Inc. ACTION: Notice of exemption. SUMMARY: Genesee & Wyoming, Inc., formerly Genesee & Wyoming Industries, Inc., is exempted, under 49 U.S.C. 10505 (now 49 U.S.C. 10502), from the prior approval requirements of 49 U.S.C. 11343-45 (now 49 U.S.C. 11323-25) to control Portland & Western Railroad, Inc., a Class III rail carrier. DATES: This exemption will be effective on August 31, 1997. Decided: July 22, 1997. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33425] I & M Rail Link, LLC--Trackage Rights Exemption--The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) will agree to grant limited overhead trackage rights to I & M Rail Link, LLC (IMRL), between milepost 429.7 in the vicinity of Division Street, St. Paul, MN, and milepost 11.6 in the vicinity of the Shoreham Yard Switch, Minneapolis, MN. The trackage includes both the route between the above-referenced mileposts via BNSF's St. Paul Sub-Division, a total of 11.9 miles, and the route between those same mileposts via BNSF's Midway Sub-Division, a total of 11.4 miles. IMRL's use of a particular route will be determined by BNSF. The transaction was expected to be consummated on or after the July 29, 1997 effective date of the exemption. The purpose of this transaction, in the interest of operating economies and improving service, is to permit IMRL to handle traffic to and from the Soo Line Railroad Company's Shoreham Yard at Minneapolis, and to pick up and deliver interchange traffic to BNSF at either Dayton's Bluff or Northtown Yard. Decided: July 28, 1997. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System or Relief From the Requirements of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 236 Pursuant to Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 235 and 49 U.S.C. App. 26, the following railroads have petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) seeking approval for the discontinuance or modification of the signal system or relief from the requirements of 49 CFR part 236 as detailed below. Block Signal Application (BS-AP)-No. 3432 Applicant: CSX Transportation, Incorporated CSX Transportation, Incorporated seeks approval of the proposed modification of the traffic control system, on the single main track, at Haines City, Florida, milepost A-828.38, Sanford Subdivision, Jacksonville Service Lane, consisting of the discontinuance and removal of controlled signals 106RA and 106LA. The reason given for the proposed changes is to eliminate facilities no longer needed in present day operation,due to the previous removal of the siding. BS-AP-No. 3433 Applicant: Soo Line Railroad Company The Soo Line Railroad Company seeks approval of the proposed discontinuance and removal of the automatic block signal system, on the single main track, between Preston Interlocking and Belt Junction Interlocking, and Belt Junction Interlocking and Spring Hill Interlocking, near Terre Haute, Indiana, on the Latta Subdivision, including installation of fixed approach signals. The reason given for the proposed changes is to eliminate facilities no longer required for present day operation, as the only freight service on the line is one local, six days a week. BS-AP-No. 3434 Applicants: South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad and Kansas Eastern Railroad The South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad (SKOL) and the Kansas Eastern Railroad (KE) jointly seek approval of the proposed discontinuance and removal of automatic interlocking signals 1553 and 1554, at Cherryvale, Kansas, where a single main track of the SKOL, Tulsa Subdivision, milepost 155.6, crosses at grade, a single main track of the KE, Neodesha Subdivision, milepost 386.8. The proposal includes removal of the automatic gate mechanism, retaining a manual gate to be left lined for the last train movement. The reasons given for the proposed changes are that the equipment is antiquated and replacement parts are almost impossible to obtain, it will reduce unnecessary maintenance expense, train operations in the area have changed and SKOL and KE are now joint operating lines, and also help avoid delays and unnecessary blockages of the highway road crossings in the area. Issued in Washington, DC on July 29, 1997. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33430] CBEC Railway, Inc.--Trackage Rights Exemption--Great Western Railway Company of Iowa, L.L.C. Great Western Railway Company of Iowa, L.L.C. (GWRI), has agreed to grant overhead trackage rights to CBEC Railway, Inc. (CBEC), over GWRI's trackage between milepost 1.72 and milepost 2.12, in the vicinity of Council Bluffs, IA. The track is adjacent to GWRI's Wabash Rail Yard and connects track owned by CBEC. The trackage rights agreement was expected to be executed on or about July 10, 1997, but the transaction is not expected to be consummated until September 1997, when construction and rehabilitation of CBEC's line is completed and rail operations are commenced over CBEC's track. The purpose of the trackage rights is to improve operational efficiencies between CBEC and GWRI and to eliminate duplicative facilities by connecting two segments of CBEC track and right-of-way on either end of GWRI's Wabash Rail Yard. Decided: July 29, 1997. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Docket No. AB-383 (Sub-No. 3X)] Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co.--Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties, WI The Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co. (WSOR) has filed a notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1152 subpart F--Exempt Abandonments and Discontinuances to discontinue service over a 3.0-mile line of railroad known as the Menomonee Falls Branch, owned by the State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation, between milepost 101.1 in Granville and milepost 104.05 in Menomonee Falls, WI. The line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Codes 53224 and 53051. The involved line segment is part of a group of former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (MILW) rail lines that were purchased by the State of Wisconsin under section 5(b)(2) of the Milwaukee Railroad Restructuring Act (MRR) in 1980. WSOR was authorized to operate this branch line as well as other former MILW lines in 1980. WSOR has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the line for at least 2 years; (2) any overhead traffic on the line can be 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 entity acting on behalf of such user) regarding cessation of service over the line either is pending with the Surface Transportation Board (Board) or with any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor of complainant within the 2-year period; and (4) the requirements at 49 CFR 1105.12 (newspaper publication), and 49 CFR 1152.50(d)(1) (notice to governmental agencies) have been met. Provided no formal expression of intent to file an offer of financial assistance (OFA) has been received, this exemption will be effective on September 5, 1997 unless stayed pending reconsideration. Decided: July 30, 1997. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System or Relief From the Requirements of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 236 Pursuant to Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 235 and 49 U.S.C. App. 26, the following railroads have petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) seeking approval for the discontinuance or modification of the signal system or relief from the requirements of 49 CFR part 236 as detailed below. Block Signal Application (BS-AP)-No. 3430 Applicant: CSX Transportation, Incorporated CSX Transportation, Incorporated seeks approval of the proposed modification of the traffic control system, at Morton, Kentucky, milepost OHC-268.38, on the Earlington Cutoff, Henderson Subdivision, Chicago Service Lane, consisting of the discontinuance and removal of controlled signals 93RA and 93RL. The reason given for the proposed changes is to eliminate facilities no longer needed in present day operation, due to the previous removal of the siding. BS-AP-No. 3431 Applicant: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) seeks approval of the proposed modification of the automatic block signal system, on the Ivy Ridge Line, between CP Valley, milepost 4.0 and Cynwyd, milepost 6.1, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consisting of the conversion of eastward leaving Signal No. 62 to a controlled signal, remotely controlled by the SEPTA ``A'' Tower Operator, and elimination of the Train Register function located at Jeff, milepost 4.5. The reason given for the proposed changes is that all eastward movements from the Cynwyd Turnback can be manually controlled and will no longer require each train to stop when entering and leaving the single track, thus improving operations. Issued in Washington, D.C. on August 6, 1997. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration Petitions for Waivers of Compliance In accordance with Part 211 of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), notice is hereby given that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) received requests for waivers of compliance with certain requirements of its safety standards. The individual petitions are described below, including the parties seeking relief, the regulatory provisions involved, the nature of the relief being requested, and the petitioners' arguments in favor of relief. Electric Transport of America, Incorporat [Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-96-12] Electric Transport of America, Incorporated, (ETA) seeks a waiver of compliance from 49 CFR 223.9(a) which requires that locomotives, including yard locomotives, built or rebuilt after June 30, 1980, be equipped with certified glazing in all locomotive cab windows. ETA requests a waiver for one locomotive imported from the Czech Republic. It is a 49 ton diesel-electric locomotive. ETA intends to market the switcher locomotive to industrial operators in North America. The Ohio Central Railroad has agreed to allow the locomotive to be demonstrated within its Coshocton Yard, Coshocton, Ohio. Austin & Texas Central Railroad [Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-97-2] The Austin & Texas Central Railroad (ATCX) seeks a permanent waiver of compliance with the Safety Glazing Standards, 49 CFR Part 223.15(c), which requires certified glazing in all windows of passenger cars and at least four emergency windows, for its three passenger coach cars: former NKP-151, known as the City of Chicago; former MP-640, known as the Eagle Cliff; and former ATSF-1343, known as the Red Rock. These cars have double pane glazing consisting of a sheet of laminated safety plate as the inside sheet, and a sheet of Polycarbonate laminated safety plate or polished plate as the outer sheet in the lounge areas and hallways. ATCX is a museum type excursion operation which is a project of the Austin Steam Train Association, a 501-(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Since 1992, operation has been on weekends for 10 months each year along with some weekday operation. During this time period, the railroad reports that there have been no acts of vandalism involving any glazing location associated with the operation of a train. ATCX proposes that any time a glazing location must be renewed, for any reason, the glazing location will be renewed with certified glazing, if mechanically possible, without alterations to the structure or function of the car. Gettysburg Railway Company [Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM-97-3] The Gettysburg Railway Company (GETY) seeks a waiver of compliance from 49 CFR Part 223.9(a) which requires that locomotives, including yard locomotives, built or rebuilt after June 30, 1980, be equipped with certified glazing in all locomotive cab windows. GETY requests a waiver for two rebuilt F-7 locomotives. GETY intends to use these locomotives in low speed (20 mph) passenger excursions in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Yakima Valley Rail and Steam Museum [Waiver Petition Docket Number SA-93-1] The Yakima Valley Rail and Steam Museum (YVRX) seeks a waiver of compliance from 49 CFR 231.30 (c) and (f), which requires that a locomotive used in switching service be equipped with four switching steps and must have means for operating the uncoupling mechanism safely from the switching step as well as from ground level, for its locomotive #4. Locomotive #4 is a Plymouth locomotive built in 1943. YVRX states that the rear of the locomotive is not equipped with corner stairways or switching steps, and the uncoupling mechanism must be operated from the ground. If the waiver is granted, the locomotive will be utilized to haul approximately 100 cars a year from Toppenish, Washington, to Harrah, Washington, a distance of about 10 miles, and 4 cars per year between Toppenish, Washington, and White Swan, Washington, a distance of 21 miles. Napa Valley Wine Train, Incorporated [Waiver Petition Docket Number SA-94-7] The Napa Valley Wine Train, Incorporated, (NVRR) seeks a waiver of compliance from 49 CFR 231.30 (c) and (f), which requires that a locomotive used in switching service be equipped with four switching steps with a minimum width of eighteen inches (locomotives built prior to April 1, 1977) and that the uncoupling mechanisms be safely operated from the switching steps as well as ground level, for their locomotive #52. Locomotive #52 is a General Electric locomotive built in 1943. NVRR states that the switching steps at all four locations are 14 inches wide. The locomotive uncoupling mechanisms are not equipped to allow for uncoupling from the switching steps and must be operated from the ground. If the waiver is granted, NVRR states the locomotive will occasionally be utilized in interchange freight service. Issued in Washington, D.C. on August 6, 1997. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Docket No. AB-477 (Sub-No. 2X)] Owensville Terminal Company, Inc--Abandonment Exemption--in Gibson and Posey Counties, IN On July 22, 1997, Owensville Terminal Company, Inc. (OTC) filed with the Surface Transportation Board (Board) a petition under 49 U.S.C. 10502 for exemption from the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 10903 to abandon a line of railroad known as the Cynthiana-Owensville line, extending from railroad milepost 277.0 north of Cynthiana to railroad milepost 271.0 north of Owensville, a distance of 6.0 miles, in Gibson and Posey Counties, IN. The line traverses U.S. Postal Service Zip Code 47665 and includes the station of Owensville at railroad milepost 271.5. By issuance of this notice, the Board is instituting an exemption proceeding pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10502(b). A final decision will be issued by November 7, 1997. Decided: August 1, 1997. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration Environmental Impact Statement on Southwest Corridor Transit Improvements in Cleveland, Ohio ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS). SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) are undertaking the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for transit improvements. The local agency will ensure that the EIS also satisfies requirements established by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The Environmental Impact Statement will evaluate alternative rail transit alignments in the corridor between the GCRTA Red Lines current terminus at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, to the International Exposition (I-X) Center and the Central Business District (CBD) in Berea, Ohio. In addition, the EIS will evaluate Transportation System Management (TSM) improvements and a No-Build alternative and any new alternatives generated through the scoping process. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Description of Study Area and Project Needs The study area is wholly within Cuyahoga County, Ohio. It is approximately 2.5-miles long and connects the central business district of Berea, Ohio with the existing GCRTA Red Line rapid transit terminus at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The corridor also connects the International Exposition Center with the airport and Berea. Existing traffic is primarily carried by the Berea Freeway (OH 237), Eastland Road, Front Street and Prospect Street with high traffic volumes at many of the signalized intersections. The proposed rail extension is intended to provide a high quality connection between the existing Red Line terminus at the Airport, the I-X Center and Berea; to support economic revitalization of the Berea CBD through greater transit accessibility; to stimulate economic development at the I-X Center by improving transit access between Downtown Cleveland and the I-X Center; contribute to higher transit mode share for work trips between the southwest suburbs and Downtown Cleveland; improve opportunities for reverse commute transportation options; to help achieve regional clean air goals; and improve travel efficiencies in the Southwest Corridor. Alternatives Transportation alternatives proposed for evaluation include a No- Build Alternative which involves no change to transportation services or facilities in the corridor beyond those improvements currently programmed; a TSM alternative which includes a package of improvements to one or all elements of the transportation network intended to improve travel time, reduce congestion, and enhance land-use development or redevelopment; and a rail transit alternative which consists of extending the GCRTA Red Line utilizing varying alternative alignments, segment lengths and technologies. It is anticipated that the rail line extension would involve streetcar style operations in Berea. Issued on: August 6, 1997. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33438] Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway, LLC--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company The Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway LLC of Dallas, TX (ALA), a noncarrier, filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 et seq. to acquire from The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) and operate a 140.58-mile rail line between milepost 776.10 near Kimbrough, AL, and milepost 916.68 in Pensacola, FL. ALA will also acquire incidental trackage rights over 13.6 miles of BNSF's line between milepost 776.10 near Kimbrough, AL, and milepost 762.5 near Magnolia, AL. ALA will also be temporarily assigned trackage rights over a 43.1-mile line of CSX Transportation, Inc., between milepost L621.7 near Atmore, AL, and milepost L635.4 near Catonment, FL, pending completion of repairs to the line to be acquired from BNSF. The transaction is scheduled to be consummated on or after September 1, 1997. Decided: August 5, 1997. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33439] Kauri, Inc. and StatesRail LLC--Continuance in Control--Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway LLC Kauri, Inc. (Kauri) and StatesRail LLC (StatesRail) filed a notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(2) and 1180.4(g) to continue in control of Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway LLC (ALA) upon ALA's becoming a Class III rail carrier. The transaction is expected to be consummated on or after September 1, 1997. Kauri, a noncarrier, through its noncarrier subsidiary, StatesRail, controls: (1) Kiamichi Railroad Company, L.L.C. (Kiamichi), which operates lines in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas; and (2) through its noncarrier subsidiary StatesRail, Inc., and its noncarrier subsidiary, Kyle Railways, Inc., controls: (a) Arizona Eastern Railway Company, which operates lines in Arizona; (b) Eastern Alabama Railway Company, which operates lines in Alabama; (c) Kyle Railroad Company, which operates lines in Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska; (d) San Joaquin Valley Railroad Company, which operates lines in California; and (e) SWKR Operating Co., which operates lines in Arizona. As noted, StatesRail controls Kiamichi and would be in control of ALA upon its becoming a carrier. Kauri states that: (1) The rail lines to be acquired by ALA will not connect with other rail lines under Kauri's or StatesRail's control or with any railroads within their corporate family; (2) the continuance in control is not part of a series of anticipated transactions that would connect the railroads with each other or any railroad in the corporate family; and (3) the transaction does not involve a Class I railroad. The transaction therefore is exempt from the prior approval requirements of 49 U.S.C. 11323. See 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(2). Decided: August 5, 1997. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33436] Corpus Christi Terminal Railroad, Inc.--Lease and Operation Exemption--Port of Corpus Christi Authority of Nueces County, Texas, Union Pacific Railroad Company, Southern Pacific Transportation Company, The Texas Mexican Railway Company and The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company Corpus Christi Terminal Railroad, Inc. (CCPN), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to lease and operate all of the lines (lines) owned by Port of Corpus Christi Authority of Nueces County, Texas (Authority), within the Corpus Christi, TX terminal area, a distance of approximately 20 route miles. In addition, CCPN will acquire incidental trackage rights over lines of UP between milepost 145.9 and milepost 149.0, together with the ``loop'' trackage off of the main line, all in the terminal area of Corpus Christi, TX, a distance of approximately 3.1 miles. The lines are currently operated by the Corpus Christi Terminal Association and its member railroads (currently Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP), Southern Pacific Transportation Company (SP), The Texas Mexican Railway Company (TM), and The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF)). With the consent, and at the request of Authority, UP, SP, TM, and BNSF will assign all of their existing operating rights (except for specified nonexclusive rights to provide unit train service to facilities that may be built on or adjacent to Authority's trackage after commencement of CCPN's operations) over the lines to CCPN and will discontinue their current operations with respect to the Authority's terminal facilities. The transaction was expected to be consummated on or after August 1, 1997. Decided: August 5, 1997. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33437] Genesee & Wyoming Inc.--Continuance in Control Exemption--Corpus Christi Terminal Railroad, Inc. Genesee & Wyoming, Inc. (GWI) has filed a notice of exemption to continue in control of the Corpus Christi Terminal Railroad, Inc. (CCPN), upon CCPN's becoming a Class III railroad. The transaction was expected to be consummated on or after August 1, 1997. GWI directly controls one existing Class II rail carrier subsidiary: Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad, Inc., operating in New York and Pennsylvania. GWI directly controls 11 existing Class III rail carrier subsidiaries: Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Company, Inc., operating in western New York; Dansville and Mount Morris Railroad Company, operating in New York; Rochester & Southern Railroad, Inc., operating in New York; Louisiana & Delta Railroad, Inc., operating in Louisiana; Bradford Industrial Rail, Inc., operating in Pennsylvania and New York; Allegheny & Eastern Railroad, Inc., operating in Pennsylvania; Willamette & Pacific Railroad, Inc., operating in Oregon; GWI Switching Services, operating in Texas; Illinois & Midland Railroad, Inc., operating in Illinois; Pittsburg & Shawmut Railroad, Inc., operating in Pennsylvania; and Portland & Western Railroad, Inc., operating in Oregon. GWI indirectly controls 3 Class III rail carriers through its ownership of Rail Link, Inc.: Carolina Coastal Railway, Inc., operating in North Carolina; Commonwealth Railway, Inc., operating in Virginia; and Talleyrand Terminal Railroad, Inc., operating in Florida. GWI states that: (i) The rail lines to be operated by CCPN do not connect with any railroad in the corporate family; (ii) the transaction is not part of a series of anticipated transactions that would connect CCPN with any railroads in the corporate family; and (iii) the transaction does not involve a Class I carrier. Therefore, the transaction is exempt from the prior approval requirements of 49 U.S.C. 11323. Decided: August 5, 1997. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33432] Paducah & Louisville Railway--Trackage Rights Exemption--CSX Transportation, Inc. CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT) has agreed to grant overhead trackage rights to Paducah & Louisville Railway (P&L) between the P&L/ CSXT connection at Madisonville, KY, at or near milepost OOH 275, and the Providence 1 Mine and Diamond J Mine (Mines) located on CSXT's Morganfield Branch, at or near mileposts MB 288.8 and MB 294.1, respectively, a distance of approximately 18.8 miles in Hopkins and Webster Counties, KY. The transaction is scheduled to be consummated on August 8, 1997. The purpose of the trackage rights is to allow P&L to handle movements of coal from the Mines to the BRT Terminal for blending and for barge movement beyond to the Gallatin Steam Plant of the Tennessee Valley Authority, and to handle empties via the reverse route under contract PAL-C-0761. Decided: August 5, 1997. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Docket No. AB-33 (Sub-No. 113)] Union Pacific Railroad Company--Discontinuance of Trackage Rights and Abandonment--In Natrona and Converse Counties, WY On July 25, 1997, Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) filed with the Surface Transportation Board, Washington, DC 20423, an application for permission for the abandonment of and discontinuance of service on a line of railroad known as the Casper Branch extending from railroad milepost 590.0 to the end of the line at milepost 607.8, near Casper (Air Base), a distance of 17.8 miles, in Natrona County, WY, and for discontinuance of UP's trackage rights over The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company trackage from UP milepost 532.5 near Orin to UP milepost 600.0 near Casper, a distance of 67.5 miles in Natrona and Converse Counties, Wyoming. The line includes the non-agency stations of Strouds at milepost 595.0, Casper at milepost 599.7, and Air Base at milepost 607.5 and traverses through United States Postal Service ZIP Codes 82601-82609 and 82633. This line of railroad has appeared on the applicant's system diagram map or has been included in its narrative in category 1 since August 1, 1992. Decided: August 8, 1997. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33440] Arkansas-Oklahoma Railroad Company--Trackage Rights Exemption-- Union Pacific Railroad Company Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) will agree to lease trackage to Arkansas-Oklahoma Railroad Company (AOK) over: (1) UP's Krebs Industrial Lead extending from the clearance point of the mainline switch at milepost 564.5 to the end of the Krebs Industrial Lead, and (2) UP's Shawnee Branch extending from milepost 364.96 to milepost 370.5. The transaction is scheduled to be consummated on or after August 7, 1997. The purpose of the trackage rights is to provide AOK railroad freight service on the Shawnee Branch at McAlester, OK, and the Krebs Industrial spur between McAlester, and Krebs, OK. Decided: August 6, 1997. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 33417] Union Pacific Railroad Company--Trackage Rights Exemption-- Southern Pacific Transportation Company Southern Pacific Transportation Company (SP) has agreed to grant overhead trackage rights to Union Pacific Railroad Company over SP's east-west rail line known as the Fort Worth Branch extending from milepost 50.2, near Fort Worth, to milepost 0.0, near Garrett, and over SP's north-south rail line known as the Hearne Line extending between milepost 261.2, near Dallas at Belt Junction, to milepost 97.0, near Bryan, a total distance of 214.82 miles in the State of Texas. The transaction is scheduled to be consummated on or after the August 8, 1997 effective date of the exemption. The purpose of the trackage rights is to facilitate efficient train operations in a one-way directional movement of trains. Decided: August 6, 1997. ================================================================== Comments or questions about this compilation should be directed to Paul Moore at 71367.1057@Compuserve.com. ==================================================================