Joint Petition for Rulemaking To Establish a Voluntary Arbitration Program for Small Rate Disputes

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Surface Transportation Board 49 CFR Parts 1011, 1108, 1115 and 1244 [Docket No. EP 765] AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking. SUMMARY: In response to a joint petition for rulemaking filed by five Class I rail carriers, the Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board) proposes to modify its regulations to establish a voluntary arbitration program for small rate disputes. DATES: Comments on the proposed rule are due by January 14, 2022. Reply comments are due by March 15, 2022. ADDRESSES: Comments and replies may be filed with the Board via e-filing on the Board's website at www.stb.gov and will be posted to the Board's website. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Ziehm at (202) 245-0391. Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 11708 , the Board's regulations at 49 CFR part 1108 establish a voluntary arbitration program “under which participating parties, including rail carriers and shippers, have agreed voluntarily in advance or on a case-by-case basis to resolve disputes about arbitration-program-eligible matters brought before the Board using the Board's arbitration procedures.” 49 CFR 1108.1(c) . On July 31, 2020, five Class I rail carriers—Canadian National Railway Company (CN), [ 1 ] CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT), the Kansas City Southern Railway Company, Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSR), and Union Pacific Ra…