Notice2023-24944
Establishment of the Passenger Rail Advisory Committee
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
November 13, 2023
Issuing agencies
Surface Transportation Board
Abstract
The Surface Transportation Board (Board) has determined that it is necessary and in the public interest to establish a Federal advisory committee on passenger rail service.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 217 (Monday, November 13, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 217 (Monday, November 13, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77655-77656]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-24944]
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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
[Docket No. EP 774]
Establishment of the Passenger Rail Advisory Committee
AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.
ACTION: Notice of establishment of a Federal advisory committee on
passenger rail service.
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SUMMARY: The Surface Transportation Board (Board) has determined that
it is necessary and in the public interest to establish a Federal
advisory committee on passenger rail service.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please direct any questions to Brian
O'Boyle, Designated Federal Officer, at (202) 245-0364 or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3270405b535c1c7d705d4b5e57724146501c555d44"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="edaf9f848c83c3a2af82948188ad9e998fc38a829b">[email protected]</span></a>. If you require an accommodation under the
Americans with Disabilities Act, please call (202) 245-0245.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee
Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. Chapter 10, the Board intends to establish a new
federal advisory committee, the Passenger Rail Advisory Committee (PRAC
or Committee), to provide advice and recommendations to the Board on
issues relating to passenger rail service. In accordance with FACA, a
charter of a newly created Committee has been prepared and will be
filed with the Board's congressional oversight committees at least 15
days following the date of publication of this notice, after which the
Board will issue a decision seeking nominations for individuals to
serve on the new committee.
Objectives and Duties of the Committee
The purpose of the PRAC is to provide advice and guidance to the
Board on passenger rail issues on a continuing basis to help the Board
better fulfill its statutory responsibilities in overseeing certain
aspects of passenger rail service. The Committee will provide a forum
for the Board and stakeholders to discuss passenger rail issues in a
manner that balances the interests of intercity and commuter rail
passengers and operators, government entities, freight rail carriers
and their customers, railway labor, and the general public. The
Committee will function as a discretionary advisory body and will
comply with the provisions of FACA and its implementing regulations.
The Committee is essential to the conduct of agency business, as
the Board's responsibilities and duties relating to passenger rail have
expanded and become more defined in recent years. The Committee would
provide the Board with valuable insight to help it better carry out
these responsibilities and duties.
The scope of the Committee's activities shall include providing
information, advice, and recommendations to the Board on issues
impacting the development and operation of railroad passenger services,
including: improving efficiency on passenger rail routes; reducing
disputes between passenger rail carriers and freight rail hosts
regarding the use of freight rail carrier-owned facilities and
infrastructure for passenger service, including passenger on-time
[[Page 77656]]
performance issues; and improving regulatory processes related to
intercity passenger rail to the benefit of the public, the communities
served by passenger rail, and the environment. The Board is interested
in engaging with passenger rail stakeholders including the National
Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), other intercity passenger rail
operators, commuter rail operators, states that fund passenger rail,
freight railroads, passenger rail advocacy groups, and railway labor on
these passenger rail-related issues. Each Committee meeting will better
inform the Board as to passenger rail matters.
The duties of the Committee are solely advisory and will entail
only the submission of non-binding advice and recommendations to the
Board. No determinations of fact or policy will be made by the
Committee, and the Committee will have no decision-making role or
access to non-public Board information, including the Board's decision-
making process or other confidential information.
Membership of the Committee
The PRAC shall consist of approximately 18 voting members who will
comprise a balanced representation of individuals knowledgeable
regarding passenger rail transportation, freight rail transportation,
commuter rail operations, and transportation public policy. The voting
membership shall include no fewer than:
<bullet> two representatives from Amtrak;
<bullet> two representatives from commuter rail operators whose
operations use facilities owned and/or utilized by (i) Amtrak, (ii)
other intercity passenger rail operators, or (iii) rail freight
operators (for purposes of ensuring geographic diversity within PRAC's
membership, these representatives cannot be from the same state as any
of the state representatives described below and cannot be from the
same state as each other);
<bullet> two representatives from existing intercity passenger rail
operators other than Amtrak, or developers of new intercity passenger
rail lines other than Amtrak;
<bullet> one representative from a state that provides funding for
intercity passenger rail (for purposes of ensuring geographic diversity
within PRAC's membership, this representative cannot be from the same
state as any of the representatives of the commuter rail operators
described above, or the representative from a state in which the
intercity passenger rail stations are served only by long-distance
trains described below);
<bullet> one representative from a state in which the intercity
passenger rail stations are served only by long-distance trains, i.e.,
passenger trains serving the entirety of routes of more than 750 miles
between endpoints (for purposes of ensuring geographic diversity within
PRAC's membership, this representative cannot be from the same state as
any of the representatives of the commuter rail operators described
above or the representative from the state that provides funding for
intercity passenger rail described above);
<bullet> two representatives from Class I freight railroads;
<bullet> one representative from a Class II or Class III freight
railroad;
<bullet> one representative from an organized rail labor
association;
<bullet> two representatives from rail passenger advocacy
organizations;
<bullet> one representative from a rail shipper or customer
advocacy organization or an individual shipper or customer; and
<bullet> three at-large representatives with relevant experience
(including, but not limited to, individuals involved in the design or
construction of passenger rail equipment or infrastructure, in the
provision of passenger rail analytic or consulting services, in
transportation planning, or in transportation-related public policy
work).
All voting members of the Committee shall serve on the Committee in
a representative capacity on behalf of their respective industry or
stakeholder group. The Members of the Board shall serve as ex officio
(non-voting) members. The Chair of the Board may also invite
representatives from the U.S. Department of Transportation to serve on
the PRAC in an advisory capacity. These federal governmental
representatives will serve as ex officio (non-voting) members.
The PRAC will meet at least twice a year, and meetings will be open
to the public, consistent with the Government in the Sunshine Act,
Public Law 94 409 (1976). Information about the PRAC will be posted on
the Board's website at: <a href="https://www.stb.gov/resources/stakeholder-committees/prac/">https://www.stb.gov/resources/stakeholder-committees/prac/</a>.
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 1321; 49 U.S.C. 24101.
Decided: November 6, 2023.
By the Board, Board Members Fuchs, Hedlund, Oberman, Primus, and
Schultz.
Kenyatta Clay,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2023-24944 Filed 11-9-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P
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