Alameda Belt Line-Operation Exemption-Board of Harbor Commissioners of the Port of Los Angeles, Board of Harbor Commissioners (Long Beach), Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority, and Union Pacific Railroad Company

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 190 (Friday, October 2, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 190 (Friday, October 2, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62804-62805]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-20203]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. FD 36946]


Alameda Belt Line--Operation Exemption--Board of Harbor 
Commissioners of the Port of Los Angeles, Board of Harbor Commissioners 
(Long Beach), Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority, and Union 
Pacific Railroad Company

    Alameda Belt Line (ABL), a Class III railroad, has filed a verified 
notice of exemption pursuant to 49 CFR 1150.41 to assume common carrier 
operations over various tracks and terminal facilities in the Los 
Angeles Basin area (the Lines).\1\ The Lines are owned in part by the 
City of Los Angeles (LA), a municipal corporation, acting through its 
Board of Harbor Commissioners; in part by the City of Long Beach (LB), 
a municipal corporation, acting through its Board of Harbor 
Commissioners; and in part by UP. The Lines are within and proximate to 
the terminal facilities of POLA and POLB and are composed of: (1) track 
owned by LA, within and proximate to POLA; (2) track owned or leased by 
LB, within and adjacent to POLB; (3) track jointly owned by POLA and 
POLB constituting the south end of the Alameda Corridor between 
milepost 16.1 at CP West Thenard, Cal., and milepost 18.2 at CP Badger 
Bridge, Cal., including a connecting segment extending between milepost 
16.8 at CP Long Beach Junction, Cal., and milepost 17.7 at CP Gaspur, 
Cal.; \2\ (4) the portion of the Alameda Corridor extending from 
milepost 0.0 at CP East Redondo, Cal., to milepost 16.1 at CP West 
Thenard, a triple-tracked main line corridor owned jointly by POLA and 
POLB; \3\ and (5) the UP-owned Northerly Drill Track, also known as the 
Patata Industrial Lead, extending from milepost 15.9 at CP Firestone 
Park, Cal., to milepost 21.7 at CP Compton, Cal.; and the UP owned 
Southerly Drill Track, also known as the Carson Industrial Lead, 
extending from milepost 12.8 at CP Tyler, Cal., to milepost 16.1 at CP 
West Thenard.
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    \1\ ABL states that it is a privately-held railroad company 
granted common carrier dispatching authority pursuant to Alameda 
Belt Line--Operation Exemption--Board of Harbor Commissioners of the 
Port of Los Angeles, FD 36787 (STB served July 22, 2024). ABL 
further states that it provides dispatching over the trackage known 
as the Alameda Corridor, which functions as a conduit for BNSF 
Railway Company and Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) traffic 
flowing to and from the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and the Port of 
Long Beach (POLB).
    \2\ ABL states that it will acquire non-exclusive rights over 
this track.
    \3\ ABL states that it will acquire non-exclusive rights over 
this track. According to the verified notice, asset administration 
for the Alameda Corridor has been delegated to the Alameda Corridor 
Transportation Authority (ACTA).
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    According to the verified notice, Pacific Harbor Line, Inc. (PHL), 
currently operates the Lines, providing terminal service to POLA and 
POLB. ABL states that it is currently negotiating separate agreements 
with LA, LB, ACTA, UP, and, as needed, jointly with POLA and POLB. 
According to the verified notice, ABL anticipates that all agreements 
essential to the transaction will be finalized in October 2026. ABL 
further states that pursuant to those agreements, it will replace PHL 
as the provider of terminal switching service to POLA and POLB. The 
verified notice does not indicate that PHL has consented to the 
discontinuance of its operating authority. PHL therefore will retain 
all existing common carrier authority to operate over the Lines. 
However, PHL may seek Board authority to discontinue operations over 
the Lines, or a third party may request that the Board authorize an 
``adverse'' discontinuance of PHL's operating authority.
    The verified notice states that none of the agreements governing 
the transaction involves any provision barring or limiting ABL's future 
interchange with any third-party connecting carrier. ABL further 
certifies its status as a terminal switching carrier will qualify ABL 
to be a Class III railroad pursuant to 49 CFR part 1201, General 
Instruction 1-1(d). Pursuant to 49 CFR 1150.42(e), if a carrier's 
projected annual revenues will exceed $5 million, it must, at least 60 
days before the exemption is to become effective, post a notice of its 
intent to undertake the proposed transaction at the workplace of the 
employees on the affected lines, serve a copy of the notice on the 
national offices of the labor unions with employees on the affected 
lines, and certify to the Board that it has done so. On July 13, 2026, 
ABL certified that it posted the required 60-day notice at the 
workplaces of current PHL employees who work on the Lines and served a 
copy of the notice on the national offices of the labor union with 
employees on the Lines.
    The earliest this transaction may be consummated is October 16, 
2026, the effective date of the exemption. 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 October 9, 2026.

[[Page 62805]]

    All pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD 36946, 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 
ABL's representative, Robert A. Wimbish, Fletcher & Sippel LLC, 29 
North Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606.
    According to ABL, 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: September 29, 2026.

    By the Board, Anika S. Cooper, Chief Counsel, Office of Chief 
Counsel.
Aretha Laws-Byrum,
Clearence Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2026-20203 Filed 10-1-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P


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