Surface Transportation Board – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Surface Transportation Board has adopted the second quarter 2025 Rail Cost Adjustment Factor and cost index filed by the Association of American Railroads.

On January 30, 2024, Canadian National Railway Company (CNR) and Grand Trunk Corporation (GTC), together with the Iowa Northern Railway Company (IANR) (collectively, Applicants) filed an application seeking approval for CNR and GTC to acquire control of IANR and operate IANR's 218-mile rail system in Iowa. By decision served on January 14, 2025 (Decision No. 3), the Board approved Applicants' application. As a condition of its approval, the Board imposed a three-year oversight period, during which the Board will closely monitor Applicants' compliance with, and the effectiveness of, the conditions imposed by the Board. Throughout the oversight period, Applicants are required to report service, operational, and competition-related metrics at prescribed frequencies, as described in Decision No. 3. The Board now institutes this proceeding to implement the general oversight condition and provide further guidance regarding Applicants' reporting obligations.

On January 22, 2025, Jefferson Partners, L.P., dba Jefferson Lines (Jefferson), an interstate passenger motor carrier, submitted an application for authority to acquire and operate the assets of another interstate passenger motor carrier, Karst Stage, Inc. (Karst). The Board is tentatively approving and authorizing this transaction. If no opposing comments are timely filed, this notice will be the final Board action.

TBL Group, Inc. (TBL Group), a holding company that owns multiple interstate motor passenger carriers, has filed an application for Board approval of its acquisition of an additional federally regulated motor passenger carrier, Echo Windy City, LLC (Echo Windy). The Board is tentatively approving and authorizing the transaction. If no opposing comments are timely filed, this notice will be the final Board action.

TBL Group, Inc. (TBL Group), a holding company that owns multiple interstate motor passenger carriers, has filed an application for Board approval of its acquisition of an additional federally regulated motor passenger carrier, Reston Limousine & Travel Service, Inc. (Reston). The Board is tentatively approving and authorizing the transaction. If no opposing comments are timely filed, this notice will be the final Board action.

Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the Passenger Rail Advisory Committee (PRAC), pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

The Surface Transportation Board (Board) is issuing a final rule to implement the annual inflationary adjustment to its civil monetary penalties, pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015.

On December 11, 2024, Avalon Motor Coaches, LLC (Avalon Motor Coach), an interstate passenger motor carrier, together with its noncarrier affiliates Virgin-Fish, Inc. (Virgin-Fish), and Jeffrey Brush (Avalon Motor Coach, Virgin-Fish, and Jeffrey Brush will be collectively referred to as "Avalon") filed an application for Avalon to purchase most of the assets of another interstate passenger motor carrier, Rose Chauffeured Transportation, Inc. (Rose), and assume substantially all of its outstanding contracts related to its charter services. The Board is tentatively approving and authorizing this transaction. If no opposing comments are timely filed, this notice will be the final Board action.

The Board is instituting a proceeding to determine the railroad industry's cost of capital for 2024. The decision solicits comments on the following issues: the railroads' 2024 current cost of debt capital, the railroads' 2024 current cost of preferred equity capital (if any), the railroads' 2024 cost of common equity capital, and the 2024 capital structure mix of the railroad industry on a market value basis.

TIP Minnesota Coaches Acquisition LLC, TIP MN Investments LP, and Tiger Infrastructure Partners Fund IV AIV LP (Applicants) filed an application seeking authority to acquire control of seven interstate passenger motor carriers: Marschall Line, Inc. (Marschall Line), Minnesota Coaches, Inc. (Minnesota Coaches), Rehbein Transit Co., Inc. (Rehbein), Ready Bus Company Inc. (Ready Bus), Voyageur Bus Company, Inc. (Voyageur Bus), Minn-Dakota Coaches, Inc. (Minn-Dakota), and Faribault Transportation Service, Inc. (FTS) (collectively, the Subject Carriers). The Board is tentatively approving and authorizing the transaction. If no opposing comments are timely filed, this notice will be the final Board action.

The Surface Transportation Board has adopted the first quarter 2025 Rail Cost Adjustment Factor and cost index filed by the Association of American Railroads.

Van Pool Transportation LLC (Van Pool) and AG Van Pool Holdings, LP (AG Holdings) (collectively, Applicants), both noncarriers, filed an application to acquire control of an interstate passenger motor carrier, Butler's Bus Service, Inc. (BBS), from its shareholders, Bruce Lyskawa and Emo Chynoweth (Sellers). The Board is tentatively approving and authorizing the transaction. If no opposing comments are timely filed, this notice will be the final Board action.