Santa Maria Valley Railroad, LLC-Acquisition and Change of Operator Exemption-Railroad Lines of Coast Belle Rail, LLC, and Union Pacific Railroad Company, in Santa Barbara County, Cal.

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Published

March 28, 2025

Issuing agencies

Surface Transportation Board

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 59 (Friday, March 28, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 59 (Friday, March 28, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14177-14178]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-05402]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. FD 36846]


Santa Maria Valley Railroad, LLC--Acquisition and Change of 
Operator Exemption--Railroad Lines of Coast Belle Rail, LLC, and Union 
Pacific Railroad Company, in Santa Barbara County, Cal.

    Santa Maria Valley Railroad, LLC (SMVR), a noncarrier, has filed a 
verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to (1) acquire from 
Coast Belle Rail, LLC (CBRL), a rail line extending between milepost 
3.3 near Guadalupe (Betteravia Junction), Cal., and milepost 9.3 at 
Santa Maria, Cal., along with the connecting Airbase Branch extending 
between the wye at milepost 8.5/0.0 at Santa Maria and milepost 3.0 at 
Santa Maria (the CBRL Line); (2) acquire by assignment from Coast Belle 
Rail Corp. d/b/a Santa Maria Valley Railroad Company (Coast Belle) its 
leasehold interest in a rail line owned by Union Pacific Railroad 
Company (UP), extending between milepost 0.0 at Guadalupe, Cal., and 
milepost 3.3, along with the Betteravia Branch, extending between 
milepost 3.3 and milepost 4.8 at Betteravia, Cal. (the UP Line); and 
(3) replace Coast Belle as the common carrier service provider on the 
CBRL Line and UP Line (collectively, the Lines),\1\ thereby

[[Page 14178]]

terminating Coast Belle's current common carrier status with respect to 
the Lines. The verified notice states that SMVR, CBRL, and Coast Belle 
are completing agreement terms for the transaction.
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    \1\ According to the verified notice, Coast Belle currently 
operates over the CBRL Line pursuant to an operating agreement with 
CBRL and over the UP Line pursuant to a lease agreement with UP. See 
Coast Belle Rail Corp.--Lease & Operation Exemption--Line of Coast 
Belle Rail, LLC, FD 34927 (STB served Oct. 17, 2006). SMVR states 
that the mileposts and total route mileages in the current verified 
notice differ in certain respects from those in the 2006 proceeding, 
and that the mileposts and route mileage in the current verified 
notice more accurately describe the scope of rail operations than 
was offered in 2006.
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    This transaction is related to a concurrently filed verified notice 
of exemption in OmniTRAX Holdings Combined, Inc.--Continuance in 
Control Exemption--Santa Maria Valley Railroad, Docket No. FD 36845, in 
which OmniTRAX Holdings Combined, Inc., and HGS Railway Holdings, Inc., 
seek to continue in control of SMVR upon SMVR's becoming a Class III 
rail carrier.
    SMVR certifies that it will not be contractually limited in its 
ability to interchange traffic with any third-party connecting carrier. 
SMVR further certifies that its projected annual revenues will not 
exceed $5 million and will not result in SMVR's becoming a Class I or 
Class II rail carrier. Under 49 CFR 1150.32(b), a change in operator 
requires that notice be given to shippers. SMVR states that it has 
provided notice to all customers on the Lines.
    The earliest this transaction may be consummated is April 12, 2025. 
SMVR states that it expects to consummate its acquisition of, and 
commence common carrier operations over, the Lines on or after that 
date.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the exemption 
under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed at any time. The filing of a 
petition to revoke will not automatically stay the effectiveness of the 
exemption. Petitions for stay must be filed no later than April 4, 2025 
(at least seven days before the exemption becomes effective).
    All pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD 36846, must be filed with 
the Surface Transportation Board either via e-filing on the Board's 
website or in writing addressed to 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 
20423-0001. In addition, a copy of each pleading must be served on 
SMVR's representative, Robert A. Wimbish, Fletcher & Sippel LLC, 29 
North Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606-3208.
    According to SMVR, this action is categorically excluded from 
environmental review under 49 CFR 1105.6(c) and from historic 
preservation reporting requirements under 49 CFR 1105.8(b).
    Board decisions and notices are available at <a href="http://www.stb.gov">www.stb.gov</a>.

    Decided: March 25, 2025.

    By the Board, Scott M. Zimmerman, Acting Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Tammy Lowery,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2025-05402 Filed 3-27-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P


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