83 FR 2865 - Soo Line Railroad Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-BNSF Railway Company

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 13 (January 19, 2018)

Page Range		2865-2865
FR Document		2018-00927

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 13 (Friday, January 19, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 13 (Friday, January 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 2865]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00927]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. FD 36162]


Soo Line Railroad Company--Trackage Rights Exemption--BNSF 
Railway Company

    Soo Line Railroad Company (Soo Line), a Class I rail carrier, has 
filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(7) to renew 
overhead trackage rights over approximately 137 miles of rail line 
owned and operated by BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) between Minneapolis, 
Minn., and Superior, Wis. (the Line).
    Soo Line states that the purpose of the transaction is to renew the 
overhead trackage rights agreement governing Soo Line's continued 
freight service between Minneapolis, Minn., and Superior, Wis. The 
agreement provides trackage rights to Soo Line over two separate routes 
from Minneapolis that converge on BNSF's Staples Subdivision. The first 
route is from milepost 11.4+/- on BNSF's Staples Subdivision at or near 
University Avenue in Minneapolis, Minn. to the connection at milepost 
21.0+/- with BNSF's Hinckley Subdivision near Coon Creek, Minn. 
(Hinckley Subdivision milepost 136.9 +/-). The second route is over the 
North Runner Lead from BNSF's Northtown Yard to Soo Line's Shoreham 
Yard at milepost 11.66+/- on BNSF's St. Paul Subdivision to the 
connection at milepost 16.25+/- on BNSF's Staples Subdivision and 
thence to the connection with BNSF's Hinckley Subdivision near Coon 
Creek, Minn. From there, Soo Line's trackage rights continue to the 
connection at Hinckley Subdivision milepost 11.8+/- with BNSF's Lakes 
Subdivision in Boylston, Wis. (Lakes Subdivision milepost 12.6+/-), and 
thence to Lakes Subdivision milepost 9.4+/- at M&J Junction in 
Superior, Wis., including the BNSF-owned turnout at milepost 10.44+/- 
to the Saunders Connecting Track. Soo Line acquired the trackage rights 
in its 1985 acquisition of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific 
Railroad Company's assets.
    According to Soo Line, the parties intend to enter into a written 
agreement renewing the overhead trackage rights, and a redacted copy of 
the draft agreement has been submitted as an exhibit with its verified 
notice.\1\
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    \1\ With the verified notice, Soo Line filed a motion for a 
protective order to protect the confidential and commercially 
sensitive information contained in the agreement, which Soo Line 
submitted under seal. That motion will be addressed in a separate 
decision.
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    As a condition to this exemption, any employees affected by the 
trackage rights will be protected by the conditions imposed in Norfolk 
& Western Railway--Trackage Rights--Burlington Northern, Inc., 354 
I.C.C. 605 (1978), as modified in Mendocino Coast Railway--Lease & 
Operate--California Western Railroad, 360 I.C.C. 653 (1980).
    The transaction may be consummated on or after February 4, 2018, 
the effective date of the exemption (30 days after the verified notice 
was filed).
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the exemption 
under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed at any time. The filing of a 
petition to revoke will not automatically stay the effectiveness of the 
exemption. Petitions for stay must be filed no later than January 26, 
2018 (at least seven days before the exemption before effective).
    An original and 10 copies of all pleadings, referring to Docket No. 
36162, must be filed with the Surface Transportation Board, 395 E 
Street SW, Washington, DC 20423-0001. In addition, one copy of each 
pleading must be served on W. Karl Hansen, Stinson Leonard Street LLP, 
50 South Sixth St., Suite 2600, Minneapolis, MN 55402.
    According to Soo Line, this action is categorically excluded from 
environmental review under 49 CFR 1105.6(c) and from historic reporting 
under 49 CFR 1105.8(b).
    Board decisions and notices are available on our website at 
WWW.STB.GOV.

    Decided: January 16, 2018.

    By the Board, Scott M. Zimmerman, Acting Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2018-00927 Filed 1-18-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4915-01-P

Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 13 / Friday, January 19, 2018 / Notices 2865

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: St. Paul Subdivision to the connection 1105.6(c) and from historic reporting
Elliot Chiu in the Office of the Legal at milepost 16.25+/¥ on BNSF’s Staples under 49 CFR 1105.8(b).
Adviser, U.S. Department of State Subdivision and thence to the Board decisions and notices are
(telephone: 202–632–6471; email: connection with BNSF’s Hinckley available on our website at
section2459@state.gov). The mailing Subdivision near Coon Creek, Minn. WWW.STB.GOV.
address is U.S. Department of State, L/ From there, Soo Line’s trackage rights Decided: January 16, 2018.
PD, SA–5, Suite 5H03, Washington, DC continue to the connection at Hinckley By the Board, Scott M. Zimmerman, Acting
20522–0505. Subdivision milepost 11.8+/¥ with Director, Office of Proceedings.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BNSF’s Lakes Subdivision in Boylston, Jeffrey Herzig,
foregoing determinations were made Wis. (Lakes Subdivision milepost Clearance Clerk.
pursuant to the authority vested in me 12.6+/¥), and thence to Lakes [FR Doc. 2018–00927 Filed 1–18–18; 8:45 am]
by the Act of October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. Subdivision milepost 9.4+/¥ at M&J
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P
985; 22 U.S.C. 2459), E.O. 12047 of Junction in Superior, Wis., including
March 27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs the BNSF-owned turnout at milepost
Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 10.44+/¥ to the Saunders Connecting
(112 Stat. 2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Track. Soo Line acquired the trackage
note, et seq.), Delegation of Authority rights in its 1985 acquisition of the Federal Aviation Administration
No. 234 of October 1, 1999, Delegation Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and
of Authority No. 236–3 of August 28, Pacific Railroad Company’s assets. Agency Information Collection
2000 (and, as appropriate, Delegation of According to Soo Line, the parties Activities: Requests for Comments;
Authority No. 257–1 of December 11, intend to enter into a written agreement Clearance of a Renewed Approval of
2015). I have ordered that Public Notice renewing the overhead trackage rights, Information Collection: Helicopter Air
of these determinations be published in and a redacted copy of the draft Ambulance Operator Reports
the Federal Register. agreement has been submitted as an
exhibit with its verified notice.1 AGENCY: Federal Aviation
Alyson Grunder, Administration (FAA), DOT.
As a condition to this exemption, any
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Bureau ACTION: Notice and request for
of Educational and Cultural Affairs, employees affected by the trackage
rights will be protected by the comments.
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2018–00911 Filed 1–18–18; 8:45 am]
conditions imposed in Norfolk & SUMMARY: In accordance with the
BILLING CODE 4710–05–P
Western Railway—Trackage Rights— Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA
Burlington Northern, Inc., 354 I.C.C. 605 invites public comments about our
(1978), as modified in Mendocino Coast intention to request the Office of
Railway—Lease & Operate—California Management and Budget (OMB)
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
Western Railroad, 360 I.C.C. 653 (1980). approval to renew an information
[Docket No. FD 36162] The transaction may be consummated collection. The Federal Register Notice
on or after February 4, 2018, the with a 60-day comment period soliciting
Soo Line Railroad Company— effective date of the exemption (30 days
Trackage Rights Exemption—BNSF comments on the following collection of
after the verified notice was filed). information was published on
Railway Company If the verified notice contains false or November 3, 2017 (82 FR 51331).
Soo Line Railroad Company (Soo misleading information, the exemption The FAA Modernization and Reform
Line), a Class I rail carrier, has filed a is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the Act of 2012 mandates that all helicopter
verified notice of exemption under 49 exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) air ambulance operators must begin
CFR 1180.2(d)(7) to renew overhead may be filed at any time. The filing of reporting the number of flights and
trackage rights over approximately 137 a petition to revoke will not hours flown, along with other specified
miles of rail line owned and operated by automatically stay the effectiveness of information, during which helicopters
BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) the exemption. Petitions for stay must operated by the certificate holder are
between Minneapolis, Minn., and be filed no later than January 26, 2018 providing helicopter air ambulance
Superior, Wis. (the Line). (at least seven days before the services. The helicopter air ambulance
Soo Line states that the purpose of the exemption before effective). operational data provided to the FAA is
transaction is to renew the overhead An original and 10 copies of all used by the agency as background
trackage rights agreement governing Soo pleadings, referring to Docket No. information useful in the development
Line’s continued freight service between 36162, must be filed with the Surface of risk mitigation strategies to reduce
Minneapolis, Minn., and Superior, Wis. Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW, the helicopter air ambulance accident
The agreement provides trackage rights Washington, DC 20423–0001. In rate, and to meet the mandates set by
to Soo Line over two separate routes addition, one copy of each pleading Congress.
from Minneapolis that converge on must be served on W. Karl Hansen, In response to the November 3, 2017
BNSF’s Staples Subdivision. The first Stinson Leonard Street LLP, 50 South notice and request for comments, the
route is from milepost 11.4+/¥ on Sixth St., Suite 2600, Minneapolis, MN FAA received two comments. One
BNSF’s Staples Subdivision at or near 55402. comment from an individual and one
University Avenue in Minneapolis, According to Soo Line, this action is comment from the Air Medical
Minn. to the connection at milepost categorically excluded from Operators Association (AMOA). The
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES

21.0+/¥ with BNSF’s Hinckley environmental review under 49 CFR individual commented that the hourly
Subdivision near Coon Creek, Minn. burden per average response estimate
(Hinckley Subdivision milepost 136.9 1 With the verified notice, Soo Line filed a motion has increased since the last notice was
+/¥). The second route is over the for a protective order to protect the confidential and published on July 29, 2014 (79 FR
commercially sensitive information contained in
North Runner Lead from BNSF’s the agreement, which Soo Line submitted under
44083) and asked for the reason for the
Northtown Yard to Soo Line’s Shoreham seal. That motion will be addressed in a separate change in estimated burden. In
Yard at milepost 11.66+/¥ on BNSF’s decision. response, the FAA clarifies that none of

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Document Created: 2018-01-19 02:42:56
Document Modified: 2018-01-19 02:42:56

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
FR Citation		83 FR 2865