STB to require additional information on Amtrak, NS, CSX and Port of Mobile agreement

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) will require additional information from the National Passenger Railroad Corporation (Amtrak), CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSX), Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS) and the Port of Mobile regarding the status of STB’s settlement agreement to allow Amtrak to operate service in the Gulf Coast region. The report is due Feb. 1 and STB has also scheduled a hearing for Feb. 14, 2024, for the parties to report on the settlement status more fully. 

In March 2021, Amtrak filed an application with STB, seeking an order requiring CSX and NS to allow Amtrak to operate additional intercity passenger trains over its freight rail lines between New Orleans, La., and Mobile, Ala. STB then held a multi-day hearing on the matter during 2022.  On Nov. 22, 2022, before STB rendered its decision on the matter, STB granted a motion from the parties to hold the proceeding in abeyance while the parties worked to implement a settlement agreement. 

STB set two previous dates for reporting the status of the settlement and then parties are scheduled to file an additional status report by Feb. 1, 2024.  Because more than 14 months have elapsed since the announcement of a settlement, the February report must include detailed information regarding the status of settlement implementation and describe any issues that remain outstanding. STB may determine the Feb, 14 hearing can be cancelled if the status report is sufficient. Further details on the hearing will be provided in the hearing notice to be published in the Federal Register. 

The full notice from STB can be found here.