On March 24, 2000 ^[1] , Central of Tennessee Railway and Navigation Company, Incorporated, d.b.a. The Longhorn Railway Company (Longhorn), 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 ( printed page 25039) to discontinue service over a rail line owned by Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CMTA) extending between milepost 0.0 west of Giddings, TX, and milepost 154.07 at Llano, TX, including the Marble Falls Branch (6.43 miles), the Scobee Spur (3.3 miles), and the Burnett Spur (.93 miles), a distance of approximately 162 miles in Bastrop, Burnet, Lee, Llano, Travis and Williamson Counties, TX.^[2]

The lines traverse U.S. Postal Service Zip Codes 78605, 78611, 78613, 78639, 78641, 78642, 78643, 78650, 78653, 78654, 78701, 78702, 78705, 78717, 78721, 78722, 78723, 78727, 78728, 78729, 78751, 78753, 78756, 78757, 78758, 78759, and 78959. The line includes the stations of Giddings, Hills, Paige, McDade, Butler, Stacks, Elgin, Manor, Milby, Decker, Smoot, Austin Depot, Austin Junction, Buttercrust, Abercrombie, Fromme, McNeil, Rutledge, Whitestone, Leander, Liberty Hill, Bertram, Summit, Burnet, Gandy, DeMarco, Sudduth, Fairland, Scobee, Kingsland.

The line does not contain federally granted rights-of-way. Any documentation in Longhorn's possession will be made available promptly to those requesting it.

Longhorn is proposing to discontinue all of its regulated rail operations. In this situation, the Board does not impose labor protection, except in specifically enumerated circumstances. See Northampton and Bath R. Co.—Abandonment, 354 I.C.C. 784, 785-86 (1978) ( Northampton). Therefore, if the Board grants the petition for exemption, in the absence of a showing that one or more of the exceptions articulated in Northampton is present, no labor protective conditions would be imposed.

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 August 12, 2000.

Any offer of financial assistance (OFA) under 49 CFR 1152.27(b)(2) will be due no later than 10 days after service of a decision granting the petition for exemption. Each OFA must be accompanied by a $1,000 filing fee. See49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).

This proceeding is exempt from environmental reporting requirements under 49 CFR 1105.6(c) and from historic reporting requirements under 1105.8(b).

All filings in response to this notice must refer to STB Docket No. AB-501 (Sub-No. 3X) and must be sent to: (1) Surface Transportation Board, Office of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20423-0001; and (2) Thomas F. McFarland, Jr., McFarland and Herman, 20 North Wacker Dr., Suite 1330, Chicago, IL 60602-2902.

Persons seeking further information concerning abandonment and discontinuance procedures may contact the Board's Office of Public Services at (202) 565-1592 or refer to the full abandonment or discontinuance regulations at 49 CFR part 1152. Questions concerning environmental issues may be directed to the Board's Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) at (202) 565-1545. [TDD for the hearing impaired is available at 1-800-877-8339.]

Board decisions and notices are available on our website at “WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.”