Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-Wilkes-Barre Terminal Railway Company

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 198 (Thursday, October 15, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 198 (Thursday, October 15, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65613-65614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-21034]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. FD 36959]


Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad Company--Trackage 
Rights Exemption--Wilkes-Barre Terminal Railway Company

    Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad Company (RBMN), a Class 
III rail carrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 
1180.2(d)(7) to acquire approximately 41.79 miles of local trackage 
rights on a rail line of

[[Page 65614]]

Wilkes-Barre Terminal Railway Company (WBT), in Luzerne County, Pa. 
(the Line). The Line consists of the following segments: (1) the 
Dunmore Secondary Track, between milepost 6.5, at Avoca, Pa., and 
milepost 8.6, at Rocky Glen, Pa., a distance of 2.1 miles; (2) the 
Avoca Industrial Track, between milepost 4, at Rock Street, and 
milepost 6.5, at Avoca, a distance of 2.5 miles, including the 
connection with the track of RBMN between LB Junction and the switch of 
the Dunmore Secondary Track, a distance of 0.123 miles, and the 
Langcliff Connecting Track, between milepost 0.0, at Duryea, Pa., and 
the connection with Norfolk Southern Railway in the middle of York 
Avenue, at milepost 0.867, a distance of 0.867 miles; (3) the Suscon 
Industrial Track, between milepost 154.5, at Suscon, Pa., and milepost 
158.7, at Hillside, Pa., a distance of 4.2 miles; (4) the Wilkes-Barre 
Secondary, between milepost 169.2, at Ashley, Pa., and milepost 185.5, 
at Pittston, Pa., a distance of 16.3 miles; (5) the GWBP Industrial 
Track, between milepost 0.0, at Ashley, and milepost 0.5 at Hanover 
Industrial Track, a distance of 0.5 miles; (6) the Brownsville 
Industrial Track, between milepost 0.0, at Hillside, and milepost 1.0, 
at Brownsville, Pa., a distance of 1.0 miles; (7) the Wilkes-Barre 
Industrial Track, between milepost 59.9, at Ferry Street, and milepost 
62.9, at Wilkes-Barre, Pa., a distance of 3.0 miles; (8) the Kingston 
Industrial Track, between milepost 142.7, at Pittston Junction, and 
Railroad Station 8594+58, a distance of 8.1 miles; (9) the D&H Wilkes-
Barre Connector, from milepost A-208.08, Hudson Yard, to Conyngham 
Avenue, City of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., a distance of 2.5 miles; and (10) 
the APC line, between milepost 0.0 and 0.6 in Wilkes-Barre, a distance 
of 0.6 miles.
    According to the verified notice, WBT has agreed to grant trackage 
rights to RBMN pursuant to a trackage rights agreement (Agreement) for 
RBMN to operate local service.\1\ This transaction is related to a 
concurrently filed verified notice of exemption in Wilkes-Barre 
Terminal Railway--Acquisition & Operation Exemption--Luzerne County 
Redevelopment Authority & Luzerne County Rail Corp., Docket No. FD 
36958, in which WBT seeks acquisition and operation authority over 
approximately 59.65 miles of rail line, including the Line here, in 
Luzerne County, Pa.\2\
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    \1\ A draft copy of the Agreement was included as Exhibit B to 
RBMN's verified notice of exemption.
    \2\ Upon consummation of its acquisition authority in Docket No. 
FD 36958, WBT will become a Class III rail carrier. The trackage 
rights authority in this docket cannot be consummated until WBT has 
exercised its acquisition authority.
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    The transaction may be consummated on or after October 29, 2026, 
the effective date of the exemption (30 days after the verified notice 
was filed).
    As a condition to this exemption, any employees affected by the 
acquisition of the trackage rights will be protected by the conditions 
imposed in Norfolk & Western Railway--Trackage Rights--Burlington 
Northern, Inc., 354 I.C.C. 605 (1978), as modified in Mendocino Coast 
Railway--Lease & Operate--California Western Railroad, 360 I.C.C. 653 
(1980).
    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 by October 22, 2026 (at 
least seven days before the exemption becomes effective).
    All pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD 36959, 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 
RBMN's representative, Justin J. Marks, Clark Hill PLC, 601 13th Street 
NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005.
    According to RBMN, 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: October 9, 2026.

    By the Board, Anika S. Cooper, Chief Counsel, Office of Chief 
Counsel.
Kenyatta Clay,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2026-21034 Filed 10-14-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P


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