Notice2026-00169
Northern Lines Railway, LLC-Amended Lease and Operation Exemption Containing Interchange Commitment-BNSF Railway Company
Primary source
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Published
January 8, 2026
Issuing agencies
Surface Transportation Board
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 759]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00169]
[[Page 759]]
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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
[Docket No. FD 36891]
Northern Lines Railway, LLC--Amended Lease and Operation
Exemption Containing Interchange Commitment--BNSF Railway Company
Northern Lines Railway, LLC (NLR), a Class III railroad, has filed
a verified notice of exemption pursuant to 49 CFR 1150.41 to continue
to lease from BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) and operate approximately
14.13 miles of rail line in Stearns, Sherburne, and Benton Counties,
Minn. (the Line). The Line extends (a) from the 33rd Avenue North
crossing, approximately milepost 76.03, in St. Cloud, Minn., exclusive
of the actual crossing, approximately one-half mile west of the St.
Cloud Yard, to milepost 80.66 in St. Joseph, Minn.; and (b) from Rice
Junction in St. Cloud, Minn., approximately milepost 0.0 of the Cold
Spring line to approximately milepost 9.16 at Rockville, Minn.
NLR states that it has leased the Line from BNSF since 2004.\1\ See
N. Lines Ry.--Lease & Operation Exemption--Burlington N. & Santa Fe
Ry., FD 34627 (STB served Jan. 6, 2005); see also See N. Lines Ry.--
Lease & Operation Exemption--Burlington N. & Santa Fe Ry., FD 34627
(STB served June 3, 2005) (clarifying incidental trackage rights).
According to NLR, the original lease agreement ``has been amended from
time to time'' since 2004.\2\ (Notice 4.) NLR now seeks authority for a
new amendment, which ``modifies various provisions of the lease,
including extending its term.'' (Id. at 5.)
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\1\ NLR notes that the Board's original decision authorized NLR
to lease and operate approximately 22.4 miles of line from BNSF, but
NLR received authority to discontinue service over various portions
of the original line in later decisions. See N. Lines Ry.--Discont.
of Serv. Exemption--in Stearns Cnty., Minn., AB 1011X (STB served
June 6, 2007); N. Lines Ry.--Discont. of Serv. Exemption--in Stearns
Cnty., Minn., AB 1011 (Sub-No. 1X) (STB served May 20, 2011); N.
Lines Ry.--Discont. of Serv. Exemption--in Stearns Cnty., Minn., AB
1011 (Sub-No. 2X) (STB served Mar. 4, 2016); N. Lines Ry.--Discont.
of Serv. Exemption--in Stearns Cnty., Minn., AB 1011 (Sub-No. 3X)
(STB served Sept. 27, 2016).
\2\ NLR states that it did not seek authority from the Board for
the previous amendments because it ``was unclear at the time'' of
their execution that they required Board authority. (Notice 4 n.5.)
The class exemption invoked by NLR does not provide for retroactive
effectiveness. See San Pedro R.R.--Lease & Operation Exemption--
Union Pac. R.R., FD 35968, slip op. at 1 n.1 (STB served Nov. 6,
2015).
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According to the verified notice, the lease contains an existing
interchange commitment. NLR has provided additional information
regarding the interchange commitment, as required by 49 CFR
1150.43(h).\3\
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\3\ Accompanying the verified notice, and as supplemented in two
confidential submissions on December 9 and 23, 2025, NLR submitted
under seal a copy of the lease agreement as amended. See 49 CFR
1150.43(h)(1) (providing that certain information related to
interchange commitments, such as copies of agreements, will be kept
confidential without an accompanying motion for a protective order).
Because submission of the amended lease was not complete until the
December 23, 2025 supplement, that is deemed the filed date of the
verified notice.
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NLR certifies that its projected annual revenues as a result of
this transaction will not exceed $5 million annually and will not
result the creation of a Class II or Class I carrier.
The transaction may be consummated on or after January 22, 2026,
the effective date of the exemption (30 days after the verified notice
was filed).
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 January 15,
2026 (at least seven days before the exemption becomes effective).
All pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD 36891, 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
NLR's representative, Rose-Michele Nardi, Mullins Law Group PLLC, 2001
L Street NW, Suite 720, Washington, DC 20036.
According to NLR, 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: January 6, 2026.
By the Board, Anika S. Cooper, Chief Counsel, Office of Chief
Counsel.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2026-00169 Filed 1-7-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on January 8, 2026.
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