Notice2026-10300
30-Day Notice of Intent To Seek Extension of Approval of Collection: Statutory Authority To Preserve Rail Service
Primary source
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Published
May 22, 2026
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 existing collection, Preservation of Rail Service, OMB Control No. 2140-0022, as described below. The Board previously published a notice about this collection in the Federal Register on March 20, 2026. That notice allowed for a 60-day public review and comment period. No comments were received.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 99 (Friday, May 22, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 99 (Friday, May 22, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30365-30366]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-10300]
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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
30-Day Notice of Intent To Seek Extension of Approval of
Collection: Statutory Authority To Preserve Rail Service
AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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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 existing collection, Preservation of Rail Service, OMB
Control No. 2140-0022, as described below. The Board previously
published a notice about this collection in the Federal Register on
March 20, 2026. That notice allowed for a 60-day public review and
comment period. No comments were received.
DATES: Comments on this information collection should be submitted by
June 22, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be identified as ``Paperwork
Reduction Act Comments, Statutory Authority to Preserve Rail Service.''
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: Yasmine Di Giulio, Surface Transportation Board Desk
Officer: by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#711e1803102e0204131c180202181e1f311e1c135f141e015f161e07"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b6d9dfc4d7e9c5c3d4dbdfc5c5dfd9d8f6d9dbd498d3d9c698d1d9c0">[email protected]</span></a>; by fax at (202) 395-
1743; or by mail to 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#71212330310205135f161e07"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="61313320211215034f060e17">[email protected]</span></a>. For further information regarding this collection, contact
Michael Higgins, Deputy Director, Office of Public Assistance,
Governmental Affairs (OPAGAC), and Compliance, at (202) 245-0284 or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e4898d878c858188ca8c8d83838d8a97a4979086ca838b92"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0b666268636a6e672563626c6c6265784b787f69256c647d">[email protected]</span></a>. Assistance for the hearing impaired is
available through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
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 and summarized in the Board's request for OMB
approval.
Subjects: In this notice, the Board is requesting comments on the
extension of the following information collection:
Description of Collection
Title: Preservation of Rail Service.
OMB Control Number: 2140-0022.
STB Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Extension without change.
Respondents: Affected shippers, communities, or other interested
persons seeking to preserve rail service over rail lines that are
proposed or identified for abandonment, and railroads that are required
to provide information to the offeror or applicant: Approximately 25.
Frequency: On occasion, as follows:
Table--Number of Yearly Responses
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Estimated annual
average number of
Type of filing filings (2023-
2025)
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Offer of Financial Assistance (and related filings).. 2
Request for Public Use Condition..................... 1
Feeder Line Application.............................. 1
Trail Use Request (with extensions).................. 23
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[[Page 30366]]
Total Burden Hours (annually including all respondents): 281 hours
(total of estimated hours per response x number of responses for each
type of filing).
Table--Estimated Total Burden Hours
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Estimated annual
average number of Number of hours Total estimated
Type of filing filings (2023- per response burden hours
2025)
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Offer of Financial Assistance (and related filings).... 2 46 92
Request for Public Use Condition....................... 1 4 4
Feeder Line Application................................ 1 70 70
Trail Use Request (with extensions).................... 23 5 115
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Total burden hours................................. ................. ................. 281
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Total ``Non-hour Burden'' Cost: Because Board collections are
submitted electronically to the Board, there is no cost for filing with
the Board. However, respondents are sometimes required to send
consultation letters to various other governmental agencies. Copies of
these letters are part of an environmental and historic report that
must be filed with this collection (unless waived by the Board).
Because some of these other agencies may require hard copy letters,
there may be some limited mailing costs, which staff estimates in total
to be approximately $1,800.00.
Needs and Uses: The Surface Transportation Board is, by statute,
responsible for the economic regulation of common carrier freight
railroads and certain other carriers operating in the United States.
Under the laws the Board administers, persons seeking to preserve rail
service may file pleadings before the Board to acquire or subsidize a
rail line for continued service, or to impose a trail use or public use
condition.
When a line is proposed for abandonment, affected shippers,
communities, or other interested persons may seek to preserve rail
service by filing with the Board: an offer of financial assistance
(OFA) to subsidize or purchase a rail line for which a railroad is
seeking abandonment (49 U.S.C. 10904), including a request for the
Board to set terms and conditions of the financial assistance; a
request for a public use condition (Sec. 10905); or a trail use
request (16 U.S.C. 1247(d)). Similarly, when a line is placed on a
system diagram map identifying it as an anticipated or potential
candidate for abandonment, affected shippers, communities, or other
interested persons may seek to preserve rail service by filing with the
Board a feeder line application to purchase the identified rail line
(Sec. 10907). Additionally, the railroad owning the rail line subject
to abandonment must, in some circumstances, provide information to the
applicant or offeror, as included above.
As to trail use, the STB will issue a CITU or NITU to a prospective
trail sponsor who seeks an interim trail use agreement with the rail
carrier of the rail line that is being abandoned if the rail carrier
consents. The CITU/NITU permits parties to negotiate for an interim
trail use agreement. The parties may also agree to an extension of the
negotiating period. If parties reach a trail use agreement, then they
must jointly notify the Board of that fact and of any modification or
vacancy of the agreement. There is a one-year period for any initial
interim trail use negotiating period (with potential extensions).
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: May 20, 2026.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2026-10300 Filed 5-21-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P
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