Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 48 / Wednesday, March 12, 1997 / Notices 11519 five motor passenger carriers: American Company’s (BN) 1 reinstitution of SUMMARY: Minnesota Northern Railroad, Sightseeing Tours, Inc. d/b/a ASTI (MC– operations over approximately 14.0 Inc. (MNR), a noncarrier, has filed a 252353); California Charters, Inc. (MC– miles of an abandoned line, formerly notice of exemption under 49 CFR 241211); Texas Bus Lines, Inc. (MC– owned and operated by BN, between 1150.31–34 to acquire from Burlington 37640); Gulf Coast Transportation, Inc. Pacific Junction (MP 475.01) and Northern Railroad Company (BN) 2 and d/b/a Gray Line Tours of Houston (MC– Council Bluffs, IA (MP 489.01). operate approximately 204.10 miles of 201397); and K-T Contract Services, Inc. DATES: This exemption is effective on rail line as follows: (1) 33.25 miles of (MC–218583).3 Petitioner asserts that April 11, 1997. Petitions to reopen must rail line on the MN Junction at Ada, there is little competition, and no be filed by April 1, 1997. Petitions to MN, between Ada Subdivision significant overlap in operations, among stay must be filed by March 24, 1997. mileposts 80.25 and 47.0; (2) 20.6 miles the 15 carriers it now controls and the ADDRESSES: Send pleadings referring to of rail line on the Redland Junction at four it seeks to control. It acknowledges Finance Docket No. 32977 to: (1) Office Fertile, MN, between Fertile that there is some overlap in service but of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, Subdivision mileposts 65.7 and 45.1; (3) states that this overlap will have no Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K 13.0 miles of rail line on the Tilden meaningful effect on the continued Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20423– Junction at Red Lake Falls, MN, between availability of competitive 0001; and (2) petitioner’s representative: Grand Forks Subdivision mileposts transportation. Sarah J. Whitley, 777 Main Street, Suite 56.84 and 13.0 miles east; (4) 44.25 Following the acquisition of control, 3800, Fort Worth, TX 76102–5384. miles of rail line on the MN Junction at Coach indicates that each of the four FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Perley, MN, between P Line Subdivision carriers will continue to operate in its Joseph H. Dettmar, (202) 565–1600. mileposts 65.25 and 21.0; and (5) 93 respective market, under its own name [TDD for the hearing impaired: (202) miles of rail line on the St. Hilaire line and in the same basic manner as before. 565–1695.] at Warroad, MN, between Warroad Coach claims that improved service at Subdivision mileposts 11.0 and 104.0. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Concurrent with the above lower costs will result, because of the Additional information is contained in coordination of functions, centralized transaction, MNR will acquire the Board’s decision. To obtain a copy incidental overhead trackage rights for management, financial support, of the full decision, write to, call, or rationalization of resources, and the sole purposes of: (1) Interchanging pick up in person from: DC News & rail freight cars and equipment between economies of scale that are anticipated Data, INC., 1925 K Street, N.W., Suite from the common control. Coach also MNR and BN at BN’s Crookston, MN, 210, Washington, DC 20006. Telephone: rail yard only; and (2) moving states that all collective bargaining (202) 289–4357. [Assistance for the agreements will be honored, that locomotives, cars and equipment hearing impaired is available through between the rail lines over BN’s Grand employee benefits will improve, and TDD services (202) 565–1695.] that no change in management Forks Subdivision rail line between Decided: February 25, 1997. personnel is planned. Additional milepost 81.5 west of Crookston, and information may be obtained from By the Board, Chairman Morgan and Vice milepost 31.0 at Erskine, MN, and also Chairman Owen. petitioner’s representatives. over all yard tracks in BN’s Crookston A copy of this notice will be served Vernon A. Williams, rail yard. In addition, MNR will acquire on the Department of Justice, Antitrust Secretary. BN’s trackage rights to operate over the Division, 10th Street & Pennsylvania [FR Doc. 97–6199 Filed 3–11–97; 8:45 am] Soo Line Railroad Company between Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20530. BILLING CODE 4915±00±P milepost 273.0 at or near Erskine and milepost 309.5 at or near Thief River Decided: February 26, 1997. Falls, MN. BN will retain overhead 1 By the Board, Chairman Morgan and Vice [STB Finance Docket No. 33315] trackage rights only, without serving Chairman Owen. any industries on the line, to provide Vernon A. Williams, Minnesota Northern Railroad, Inc.Ð Acquisition and Operation rail freight service over the Perley line, Secretary. ExemptionÐBurlington Northern between P Line Subdivision milepost [FR Doc. 97–6200 Filed 3–11–97; 8:45 am] Railroad Company 65.25 and milepost 21.0. BILLING CODE 4915±00±P The transaction was scheduled to be AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board. consummated on or after December 27, ACTION: Notice of exemption. 1996. [STB Finance Docket No. 32977] Concurrently, RailAmerica, Inc. (RailAmerica), which controls MNR, has 1 On December 31, 1996, The Atchison, Topeka filed a notice of exemption in Burlington Northern Railroad and Santa Fe Railway Company merged with and Company, Operation Exemption, in into Burlington Northern Railroad Company. The RailAmerica, Inc.—Continuance in Mills and Pottawattamie Counties, IA name of the surviving corporation is The Burlington Control Exemption—Minnesota Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company. In this Northern Railroad, Inc., STB Finance AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board. notice, we will continue to refer to this entity as Docket No. 33316, to exempt under 49 BN. ACTION: Notice of exemption. 1 Minnesota Northern Railroad, Inc. (MNR) CFR 1180.2(d) and 1180.4(g) from the originally filed the notice of exemption on prior approval requirements of 49 U.S.C. SUMMARY: Under 49 U.S.C. 10502, the December 11, 1996. On December 16, 1996, the 11323 RailAmerica’s continuance in Board exempts from the prior approval United Transportation Union (UTU) filed a petition control of MNR when the latter becomes requirements of 49 U.S.C. 10901 to revoke the exemption, reject the notice, and/or a Class III rail carrier. This transaction Burlington Northern Railroad stay the effectiveness of the notice. On December 18, 1996, MNR filed a notice of withdrawal. On December 20, 1996, MNR filed an amended notice 2 On December 31, 1996, The Atchison, Topeka 3 See Coach USA, Inc.—Control Exemption— of exemption. On December 24, 1996, UTU filed a and Santa Fe Railway Company merged with and American Sightseeing Tours, Inc.; California supplemental petition to revoke, reject, and/or stay. into the Burlington Northern Railroad Company. Charters, Inc.; Texas Bus Lines, Inc.; Gulf Coast The stay request was not acted upon prior to the The name of the surviving corporation is The Transportation, Inc.; and K-T Contract Services, December 27, 1996 scheduled effective date of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Inc., STB Finance Docket No. 33073 (STB served exemption. The petition to reject or revoke will be Company. In this notice we will continue to refer Nov. 8, 1996). handled in a subsequent decision. to this entity as BN.