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PART 200—INFORMAL RULES OF PRACTICE FOR PASSENGER SERVICE

Authority:   Secs. 402(e) and 406 of Pub. L. 91–518, 84 Stat. 1327, as amended by sec. 10(2) of Pub. L. 93–146, 87 Stat. 548 and sec. 121 of Pub. L. 96–73, 93 Stat. 537 (45 U.S.C. 562(e), 566); 49 CFR 1.49.

Source:   45 FR 64192, Sept. 29, 1980, unless otherwise noted.

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This part prescribes procedures under which applications will be received and heard and by which rules and orders will be issued under subsection 402(e) and section 406 of the Rail Passenger Service Act (45 U.S.C. 562(e) and 566).

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(a) Act means the Rail Passenger Service Act (45 U.S.C. 500 et seq. ).

(b) Administrator means the Federal Railroad Administrator, the Deputy Administrator of FRA, or the delegate of either.

(c) Amtrak means the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.

(d) Amtrak trains means trains operated by or on behalf of Amtrak.

(e) Chief Counsel means the Chief Counsel or Acting Chief Counsel of the FRA.

(f) Downgrading of a facility means a reduction in track classification as specified in FRA track safety standards (49 CFR part 213), or any other change in facilities which may increase the time required for a passenger train to operate over the route on which such facility is located.

(g) Facility means railroad tracks, right-of-way, fixed equipment and facilities, real-property appurtenant thereto, and includes signal systems, passenger station and repair tracks, station buildings, platforms, and adjunct facilities such as water, fuel, steam, electric, and air lines.

(h) FRA means the Federal Railroad Administration.

(i) Railroad means a person providing railroad transportation for compensation.

(j) Shipper means a person contracting with one or more railroads for freight transportation.

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(a) Each application and objection under this part shall be submitted in writing to: Docket Clerk, Office of the Chief Counsel, Federal Railroad Administration, 400 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590.

(b) Any procedural issues arising from the submission or consideration of applications under this part, such as timeliness and adequacy, shall be heard and decided by the Administration's panel established under §200.9.

(c) Any railroad adversely affected by the preference requirement of subsection 402(e) of the Act may apply to the Administrator for an order altering that requirement. Each application shall:

(1) List by endpoints the routes that are so affected; and

(2) Explain for every route listed how the preference requirement of subsection 402(e) will materially lessen the quality of freight service afforded by the applicant to its shippers, including information, data or documents sufficient to support that explanation; and

(3) Include an analysis of whether and by how much Amtrak's compensation to the railroad should be reduced if the preference requirement is altered.

(d) In accordance with section 406 of the Act, any railroad may apply to the Administrator for approval to downgrade or dispose of its facilities. Each application shall:

(1) List the facilities for proposed downgrading or disposal;

(2) Describe and give the location of each such facility and identify the most recent passenger service that made use of such facilities; and

(3) Contain for each facility an analysis of the costs the railroad could avoid if it were not required to maintain or retain the facility in the condition requested by Amtrak, including information, data and documents sufficient to support the analysis.

(e) In addition to the data provided with their applications, applicants shall furnish the Administrator with any other information that the Administrator finds necessary in order to make the determinations required by the Act.

(f) Each applicant shall promptly notify, by registered or certified mail, any party affected by any application, whether Amtrak or a railroad, of the submission of such application under this part, and shall provide a copy of the application with such notice. An official United States Postal Service receipt from the registered or certified mailing constitutes prima facie evidence of notice.

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(a) Amtrak or any other party shall have 30 days from the date an application is received by FRA pursuant to section 402(e) of the Act to object to the proposed alteration of the preference requirement. Such objections shall be in writing and shall reference, by date, railroad, and former passenger routes, the application to which it pertains.

(b) Amtrak shall have 30 days from the date an application is received by FRA pursuant to section 406 of the Act to object to any or all of the facility downgradings or disposals proposed in such application. Such objections shall be in writing and shall reference, by date, railroad, and former passenger routes, the application to which it pertains and shall list, by facility description and location, the specific downgradings or disposals to which Amtrak objects.

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(a) Pursuant to any application under this part, a prehearing conference will be held if found necessary or desirable by the Administrator.

(b) Pursuant to any application under this part, an oral hearing will be held if required by statute or if found necessary or desirable by the Administrator.

(c) Hearings shall be conducted by a panel designated by the Administrator, consisting of three FRA employees, including the Chief Counsel or a member of his or her staff who shall serve as chairman of the panel and the Associate Administrator for Intercity Programs or his or her delegate.

(d) Hearings shall be informal fact-finding proceedings, limited to the issues identified by the panel. Sections 556 and 557 of title 5, U.S.C., shall not apply.

(e) All direct evidence shall be reduced to writing and submitted to the Docket Clerk thirty days in advance of the hearing unless this requirement is expressly waived by the panel. Copies shall be furnished to all parties concurrently with the submission to the Docket Clerk.

(f) The panel may provide for oral presentations and cross-examination, and shall apply rules of evidence as it finds necessary.

(g) To the extent deemed appropriate by the panel, interested persons, including members of the public, may participate in the hearings through the submission of written data, oral presentations, or arguments.

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(a) The Administrator shall promptly approve the downgrading or disposal of any facility to which Amtrak does not submit a timely objection under this part.

(b) Orders, approvals, and determinations issued by the Administrator's panel under this part constitute the Administrator's action and shall be final.

(c) Determinations under this part are not required to be based exclusively on the record of a hearing.

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(a) General notice of any hearing under this subpart shall be published in the Federal Register not less than 10 days before the hearing, and shall include (1) a statement of the time, place, and nature of the hearing, (2) a reference to the legal authority under which the hearing is being held and (3) a description of the subject and issues involved.

(b) Any order, approval, or determination resulting from any hearing held under this part shall be published in the Federal Register.