Notice2024-25867
30-Day Notice of Intent To Seek Extension of Approval of Collections: Rail Carrier Financial Reports
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 7, 2024
Issuing agencies
Surface Transportation Board
Abstract
As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Surface Transportation Board (Board) gives notice of its intent to request from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval without change of the six existing collections described below. The Board previously published a notice about this collection in the Federal Register (August 5, 2024). That notice allowed for a 60-day public review and comment period. No comments were received.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 216 (Thursday, November 7, 2024)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 216 (Thursday, November 7, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88335-88338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-25867]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
30-Day Notice of Intent To Seek Extension of Approval of
Collections: Rail Carrier Financial Reports
AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.
[[Page 88336]]
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens,
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the
Surface Transportation Board (Board) gives notice of its intent to
request from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval without
change of the six existing collections described below. The Board
previously published a notice about this collection in the Federal
Register (August 5, 2024). That notice allowed for a 60-day public
review and comment period. No comments were received.
DATES: Comments on these information collections should be submitted by
December 9, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be identified as ``Paperwork
Reduction Act Comments, Surface Transportation Board: Rail Carrier
Financial Reports.'' Written comments for the proposed information
collection should be submitted via <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
This information collection can be accessed by selecting ``Currently
under Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search
function. As an alternative, written comments may be directed to the
Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, Attention: Michael J. McManus, Surface Transportation Board
Desk Officer: via email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#224d4b50437d5157404f4b51514b4d4c624d4f400c474d520c454d54"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3857514a59674b4d5a55514b4b5157567857555a165d5748165f574e">[email protected]</span></a>; by fax at (202)
395-1743; or by mail to Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC
20503.
Please also direct comments to Chris Oehrle, PRA Officer, Surface
Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423-0001 and to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#28787a69685b5c4a064f475e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="762624373605021458111900">[email protected]</span></a>. For further information regarding this collection, contact
Pedro Ramirez at (202) 245-0333 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#53233637213c7d21323e3a213629132027317d343c25"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0e7e6b6a7c61207c6f63677c6b744e7d7a6c20696178">[email protected]</span></a>. If you
require an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act,
please call (202) 245-0245.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments are requested concerning each
collection as to (1) whether the particular collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Board,
including whether the collection has practical utility; (2) the
accuracy of the Board's burden estimates; (3) ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (4)
ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology, when appropriate. Submitted
comments will be included or summarized in the Board's request for OMB
approval.
Description of Collections
In this notice, the Board is requesting comments on the following
information collections:
Description of Collection 1
Title: Quarterly Report of Freight Commodity Statistics (Form QCS).
OMB Control Number: 2140-0001.
Form Number: Form QCS.
Type of Review: Extension without change.
Respondents: Class I railroads.
Number of Respondents: Seven.
Estimated Time per Response: One hour.
Frequency of Response: Quarterly, with an annual summation.
Total Annual Hour Burden: 35 hours annually.
Total Annual ``Non-Hour Burden'' Cost: None identified. Filings are
submitted electronically to the Board.
Needs and Uses: This collection, which is based on information
contained in carload waybills used by railroads in the ordinary course
of business, reports car loadings and total revenues by commodity code
for each commodity that moved on the railroad during the reporting
period. See 49 CFR 1248. Information reported on Form QCS is entered
into the Agency's Uniform Rail Costing System (URCS). URCS, which was
developed by the Board pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 11161-62, is used in rail
rate proceedings as a tool to calculate the variable costs of providing
a particular rail service in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 10707(d). The
Form QCS has been reformatted in a way that should allow for more
efficient submission and agency processing, but it contains all of the
same information as required. This collection is compiled and published
on the Board's website, <a href="https://www.stb.gov/stb/industry/econ_reports.html">https://www.stb.gov/stb/industry/econ_reports.html</a>. The reformatted form and instructions may be viewed
at <a href="https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Quarterly-and-Annual-Freight-Commodity-Statistics-Public.xlsx">https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Quarterly-and-Annual-Freight-Commodity-Statistics-Public.xlsx</a> and <a href="https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Instructions-for-Quarterly-and-Annual-Freight-Commodity-Statistics.pdf">https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Instructions-for-Quarterly-and-Annual-Freight-Commodity-Statistics.pdf</a>, respectively. It should be noted that the form for this
report has been reformatted in a way that should allow for more
efficient submission and agency processing, but the information has not
changed. The form continues to contain all of the same data elements.
The information contained in this report is not available from any
other source.
Description of Collection 2
Title: Report of Railroad Employees, Service and Compensation (Wage
Forms A and B).
OMB Control Number: 2140-0004.
Form Number: Wage Form A; and Wage Form B.
Type of Review: Extension without change.
Respondents: Class I railroads.
Number of Respondents: Seven.
Estimated Time per Response: No more than 3 hours per quarterly
report and 4 hours per annual summation.
Frequency of Response: Quarterly, with an annual summation.
Total Annual Hour Burden: No more than 112 hours annually.
Total Annual ``Non-Hour Burden'' Cost: None identified. Filings are
submitted electronically to the Board.
Needs and Uses: This collection shows the number of employees,
service hours, and compensation, by employee group (e.g., executive,
professional, maintenance-of-way and equipment, and transportation), of
the reporting railroads. See 49 CFR 1245. The information is used by
the Board to forecast labor costs and measure the efficiency of the
reporting railroads. The information is also used by the Board to
evaluate proposed regulated transactions that may impact rail
employees, including mergers and consolidations, acquisitions of
control, purchases, and abandonments. Other Federal agencies and
industry groups, including the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), Bureau
of Labor Statistics (BLS), and Association of American Railroads (AAR),
use the information contained in the reports to monitor railroad
operations. Certain information from these reports is compiled and
published on the Board's website, <a href="https://www.stb.gov/stb/industry/econ_reports.html">https://www.stb.gov/stb/industry/econ_reports.html</a>. The reformatted forms and instructions may be viewed
at <a href="https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Consolidated-Wage-Forms-ABC.csv">https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Consolidated-Wage-Forms-ABC.csv</a> and <a href="https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Instructions-for-Consolidated-Wage-Forms-A-B-C.pdf">https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Instructions-for-Consolidated-Wage-Forms-A-B-C.pdf</a>, respectively. It should be noted
that the form for these reports have been reformatted in a way that
should allow for more efficient submission and agency processing, but
the information has not changed. They continue to contain all of the
same data elements. The information contained in these reports is not
available from any other source.
[[Page 88337]]
Description of Collection 3
Title: Monthly Report of Number of Employees of Class I Railroads
(Wage Form C).
OMB Control Number: 2140-0007.
Form Number: STB Form C.
Type of Review: Extension without change.
Respondents: Class I railroads.
Number of Respondents: Seven.
Estimated Time per Response: 1.25 hours.
Frequency of Response: Monthly.
Total Annual Hour Burden: 105 hours annually.
Total Annual ``Non-Hour Burden'' Cost: None identified. Filings are
submitted electronically to the Board.
Needs and Uses: This collection shows, for each reporting carrier,
the average number of employees at mid-month in the six job-
classification groups that encompass all railroad employees. See 49 CFR
1246. The information is used by the Board to forecast labor costs and
measure the efficiency of the reporting railroads. The information is
also used by the Board to evaluate the impact on rail employees of
proposed regulated transactions, including mergers and consolidations,
acquisitions of control, purchases, and abandonments. Other Federal
agencies and industry groups, including the RRB, BLS, and AAR, use the
information contained in these reports to monitor railroad operations.
Certain information from these reports is compiled and published on the
Board's website, <a href="https://www.stb.gov/stb/industry/econ_reports.html">https://www.stb.gov/stb/industry/econ_reports.html</a>.
The reformatted form and instructions may be viewed at <a href="https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Consolidated-Wage-Forms-ABC.csv">https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Consolidated-Wage-Forms-ABC.csv</a> and
<a href="https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Instructions-for-Consolidated-Wage-Forms-A-B-C.pdf">https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Instructions-for-Consolidated-Wage-Forms-A-B-C.pdf</a>, respectively. It should be noted that the form
for this report has been reformatted in a way that should allow for
more efficient submission and agency processing, but the information
has not changed. The form continues to contain all of the same data
elements. The information contained in this report is not available
from any other source.
Description of Collection 4
Title: Annual Report of Cars Loaded and Cars Terminated.
OMB Control Number: 2140-0011.
Form Number: Form STB-54.
Type of Review: Extension without change.
Respondents: Class I railroads.
Number of Respondents: Seven.
Estimated Time per Response: Four hours.
Frequency of Response: Annual.
Total Annual Hour Burden: 28 hours annually.
Total Annual ``Non-Hour Burden'' Cost: None identified. Filings are
submitted electronically to the Board.
Needs and Uses: This collection reports the number of cars loaded
and cars terminated on the reporting carrier's line. See 49 CFR 1247.
Information in this report is entered into the Board's Uniform Rail
Costing System (URCS), which is a cost measurement methodology. URCS,
which was developed by the Board pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 11161, is used
as a tool in rail rate proceedings, in accordance with 49 U.S.C.
10707(d), to calculate the variable costs associated with providing a
particular service. The Board also uses URCS to carry out more
effectively other of its regulatory responsibilities, including: acting
on railroad requests for authority to engage in Board-regulated
financial transactions such as mergers, acquisitions of control, and
consolidations, see 49 U.S.C. 11323-11324; analyzing the information
that the Board obtains through the annual railroad industry waybill
sample, see 49 CFR 1244; measuring off-branch costs in railroad
abandonment proceedings, in accordance with 49 CFR 1152.32(n);
developing the ``rail cost adjustment factors,'' in accordance with 49
U.S.C. 10708; and conducting investigations and rulemakings. This
collection is compiled and published on the Board's website, <a href="https://www.stb.gov/stb/industry/econ_reports.html">https://www.stb.gov/stb/industry/econ_reports.html</a>. The reformatted form and
instructions may be viewed at <a href="https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/STB-54-Cars-Loaded-and-Terminated.csv">https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/STB-54-Cars-Loaded-and-Terminated.csv</a> and <a href="https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Instructions-for-STB-54-Cars-Loaded-and-Terminated.pdf">https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Instructions-for-STB-54-Cars-Loaded-and-Terminated.pdf</a>,
respectively. It should be noted that the form for this report has been
reformatted in a way that should allow for more efficient submission
and agency processing, but the information has not changed. The form
continues to contain all of the same data elements. The information
contained in this report is not available from any other source.
Description of Collection 5
Title: Quarterly Report of Revenues, Expenses, and Income--
Railroads (Form RE&I).
OMB Control Number: 2140-0013.
Form Number: Form RE&I.
Type of Review: Extension without change.
Respondents: Class I railroads.
Number of Respondents: Seven.
Estimated Time per Response: Six hours.
Frequency of Response: Quarterly.
Total Annual Hour Burden: 168 hours annually.
Total Annual ``Non-Hour Burden'' Cost: None identified. Filings are
submitted electronically to the Board.
Needs and Uses: This collection is a report of railroad operating
revenues, operating expenses, and income items. It is also a profit and
loss statement, disclosing net railway operating income on a quarterly
and year-to-date basis for current and prior years. See 49 CFR 1243.1.
The Board uses the information in this report to ensure competitive,
efficient, and safe transportation through general oversight programs
that monitor and forecast the financial and operating condition of
railroads, and through regulation of railroad rate and service issues
and rail restructuring proposals, including railroad mergers,
consolidations, acquisitions of control, and abandonments. Information
from these reports is used by the Board, other Federal agencies, and
industry groups to monitor and assess industry growth and operations,
detect changes in carrier financial stability, and identify trends that
may affect the national transportation system. Some of the information
from these reports is compiled by the Board in our quarterly Selected
Earnings Data Report, which is published on the Board's website,
<a href="https://www.stb.gov/stb/industry/econ_reports.html">https://www.stb.gov/stb/industry/econ_reports.html</a>. The reformatted
form and instructions may be viewed at <a href="https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Revenue-Expenses-and-Income.csv">https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Revenue-Expenses-and-Income.csv</a> and <a href="https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Instructions-for-Revenue-Expenses-and-Income.pdf">https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Instructions-for-Revenue-Expenses-and-Income.pdf</a>,
respectively. It should be noted that the form for this report has been
reformatted in a way that should allow for more efficient submission
and agency processing, but the information has not changed. The form
continues to contain all of the same data elements. The information
contained in this report is not available from any other source.
Description of Collection 6
Title: Quarterly Condensed Balance Sheet--Railroads (Form CBS).
OMB Control Number: 2140-0014.
Form Number: Form CBS.
Type of Review: Extension without change.
Respondents: Class I railroads.
Number of Respondents: Seven.
Estimated Time per Response: Six hours.
Frequency of Response: Quarterly.
Total Annual Hour Burden: 168 hours annually.
[[Page 88338]]
Total Annual ``Non-Hour Burden'' Cost: None identified. Filings are
submitted electronically to the Board.
Needs and Uses: This collection shows the balance, quarterly and
cumulative, for the current and prior year of the carrier's assets and
liabilities, gross capital expenditures, and revenue tons carried. See
49 CFR 1243.2. The Board uses the information in this report to ensure
competitive, efficient, and safe transportation through general
oversight programs that monitor and forecast the financial and
operating condition of railroads, and through specific regulation of
railroad rate and service issues and rail restructuring proposals,
including railroad mergers, consolidations, acquisitions of control,
and abandonments. Information from these reports is used by the Board,
other Federal agencies, and industry groups to assess industry growth
and operations, detect changes in carrier financial stability, and
identify trends that may affect the national transportation system.
Revenue ton-miles, which are reported in these reports, are compiled
and published by the Board in its quarterly Selected Earnings Data
Report, which is published on the Board's website, <a href="https://www.stb.gov/stb/industry/econ_reports.html">https://www.stb.gov/stb/industry/econ_reports.html</a>. The reformatted form and instructions
may be viewed at <a href="https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Condensed-Balance-Sheet.csv">https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Condensed-Balance-Sheet.csv</a> and <a href="https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Instructions-for-Condensed-Balance-Sheet.pdf">https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/Instructions-for-Condensed-Balance-Sheet.pdf</a>, respectively. It should
be noted that the form for this report has been reformatted in a way
that should allow for more efficient submission and agency processing,
but the information has not changed. The form continues to contain all
of the same data elements. The information contained in this report is
not available from any other source.
Under the PRA, a federal agency that conducts or sponsors a
collection of information must display a currently valid OMB control
number. A collection of information, which is defined in 44 U.S.C.
3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c), includes agency requirements that persons
submit reports, keep records, or provide information to the agency,
third parties, or the public. Section 3507(b) of the PRA requires,
concurrent with an agency's submitting a collection to OMB for
approval, a 30-day notice and comment period through publication in the
Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information,
including each proposed extension of an existing collection of
information.
Dated: October 1, 2024.
Kenyatta Clay,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2024-25867 Filed 11-6-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on November 7, 2024.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.