43744 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 157 / Friday, August 14, 1998 / Notices Valen 6 through the acquisition all of enhancing the benefits resulting from By the Board, Chairman Morgan and Vice their outstanding stock. these control transactions. Chairman Owen. Vernon A. Williams, Applicant submits that there will be Applicant certifies that: (1) Maine no transfer of any federal or state Line, Olympia, and Valen hold Secretary. operating authorities held by the satisfactory safety ratings from the U.S. [FR Doc. 98±21935 Filed 8±13±98; 8:45 am] acquired carriers. Following the Department of Transportation, while BILLING CODE 4915±00±P consummation of the control Mini Coach holds a conditional safety transaction, these carriers will continue rating and Gray Line has not been rated; DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION operating in the same manner as before, (2) each of the acquired carriers and, according to applicant, granting the maintains sufficient liability insurance; Surface Transportation Board application will not reduce competitive (3) none of the acquired carriers is options available to the traveling public. [STB Finance Docket No. 33556] 1 domiciled in Mexico nor owned or Applicant asserts that the acquired carriers do not compete with one controlled by persons of that country; Canadian National Railway Company, another, to any meaningful degree. and (4) approval of the transaction will Grand Trunk Corporation, and Grand Applicant submits that each of the not significantly affect either the quality Trunk Western Railroad IncorporatedÐ acquired carriers is relatively small and of the human environment or the ControlÐIllinois Central Corporation, that each faces substantial competition conservation of energy resources. Illinois Central Railroad Company, from other bus companies and Additional information may be obtained Chicago, Central and Pacific Railroad transportation modes. from applicant's representatives. Company, and Cedar River Railroad Applicant also submits that granting Under 49 U.S.C. 14303(b), we must Company the application will produce substantial approve and authorize a transaction we AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board. benefits, including interest cost savings find consistent with the public interest, ACTION: Decision No. 6 in STB Finance from the restructuring of debt and taking into consideration at least: (1) the Docket No. 33556; Notice of Acceptance reduced operating costs from Coach's effect of the transaction on the adequacy of Primary Application and Related enhanced volume purchasing power. of transportation to the public; (2) the Filing; Issuance of Final Procedural Specifically, applicant claims that each total fixed charges that result; and (3) Schedule. carrier to be acquired will benefit from the interest of affected carrier the lower insurance premiums employees. SUMMARY: The Board is accepting for negotiated by Coach and from volume consideration the primary application On the basis of the application, we discounts for equipment and fuel. and related filing filed July 15, 1998, by find that the proposed acquisition of Applicant indicates that Coach will Canadian National Railway Company control is consistent with the public provide each carrier to be acquired with (CNR), Grand Trunk Corporation (GTC), interest and should be authorized. If any centralized legal and accounting and Grand Trunk Western Railroad functions and coordinated purchasing opposing comments are timely filed, Incorporated (GTW),2 Illinois Central services. In addition, applicant states this finding will be deemed vacated and Corporation (IC Corp.), Illinois Central that vehicle sharing arrangements will a procedural schedule will be adopted Railroad Company (ICR), Chicago, be facilitated through Coach to ensure to reconsider the application. If no Central and Pacific Railroad Company maximum use and efficient operation of opposing comments are filed by the (CCP), and Cedar River Railroad equipment, and that coordinated driver expiration of the comment period, this Company (CRRC).3 The primary training services will be provided. decision will take effect automatically application seeks Surface Applicant also states that the proposed and will be the final Board action. Transportation Board (Board) approval transaction will benefit the employees Board decisions and notices are and authorization under 49 U.S.C. of the acquired carriers and that all available on our website at 11321±26 for: (1) the acquisition of collective bargaining agreements will be ``WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.'' control, by CNR, through its indirect honored by Coach. wholly owned subsidiary Blackhawk This decision will not significantly Merger Sub, Inc., of control of IC Corp. Coach plans to acquire control of affect either the quality of the human additional motor passenger carriers in and through it of ICR and its railroad environment or the conservation of affiliates, and (2) for the resulting the coming months. It asserts that the energy resources. financial benefits and operating common control by CNR of GTW and its efficiencies will be enhanced further by It is ordered: railroad affiliates and ICR and its these subsequent transactions. Over the 1. The proposed acquisition of control railroad affiliates. The related filing, an long term, Coach states that it will is approved and authorized, subject to application for terminal trackage rights, provide centralized marketing and the filing of opposing comments. reservation services for the bus firms 1 This decision covers: (i) the primary 2. If timely opposing comments are application, which was filed in the STB Finance that it controls, thereby further filed, the findings made in this decision Docket No. 33556 lead docket; and (ii) one related will be deemed as having been vacated. filing, an application for terminal trackage rights in 6 Valen is a California corporation. It holds Springfield, IL, filed in the embraced docket, STB federally issued operating authority in Docket No. 3. This decision will be effective on Finance Docket No. 33556 (Sub-No. 1), Canadian MC±212398 which includes regular-route authority September 28, 1998, unless timely National Railway Company, Illinois Central Railroad Company, The Kansas City Southern between points in California, Nevada and Arizona, opposing comments are filed. as well as authority from the California Public Railway Company, and Gateway Western Railway Utilities Commission to conduct intrastate 4. A copy of this notice will be served CompanyÐTerminal Trackage RightsÐUnion Pacific Railroad Company and Norfolk & Western operations in that state. It operates a fleet of on the U.S. Department of Justice, approximately 5 motorcoaches and other vehicles. Railway Company. Valen's gross revenue for FY 1997 was Antitrust Division, 10th Street & 2 CNR, GTC, and GTW, and their affiliates, are approximately $2.5 million. Prior to the transfer of Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., referred to collectively as CN. its stock into voting trust, it was owned by Michael Washington, DC 20530. 3 IC Corp., ICR, CCP, and CRRC, and their L. Valen, Michaeleen Valen, Bipinchandra M. affiliates, are referred to collectively as IC. CN and Ramaiya, and Marguerite L. Skinner. Decided: August 7, 1998. IC are referred to collectively as applicants. Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 157 / Friday, August 14, 1998 / Notices 43745 seeks related relief contingent upon 11F, Washington, DC 20426 [(202) 219± southern terminus is Chicago. CN's approval of the primary application. 2514; FAX: (202) 219±3289] and to each traffic, between Duluth/Superior and Having received public comments on of applicants' representatives: (1) Paul Chicago, is carried under haulage the proposed procedural schedule, as A. Cunningham, Esq., Harkins agreements over the lines of The modified by the Board, and applicants' Cunningham, 1300 19th Street, NW., Burlington Northern and Santa Fe reply to those comments, the Board is Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036±1609; Railway Company (BNSF) and issuing a final procedural schedule. and (2) William C. Sippel, Esq., Wisconsin Central Ltd. (WC). This schedule provides for the issuance Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly, Two IC operates approximately 3,370 route of a final decision no later than May 11, Prudential Plaza, 45th Floor, 180 North miles of track running north-south 1999 (300 days after the primary Stetson Avenue, Chicago, IL 60601± between Chicago and the Gulf of application's filing date of July 15, 6710. Mexico, and east-west between Chicago 1998). In addition to submitting an original and Nebraska and Iowa. IC's main DATES: The effective date of this and 25 copies of all paper documents north-south route reaches every major decision is August 14, 1998. Any party filed with the Board, parties also must metropolitan area on the Mississippi who wishes to participate in this submit, on 3.5-inch IBM-compatible River, including Chicago, IL; St. Louis, proceeding as a party of record must floppy diskettes (disks) or compact discs MO; Memphis, TN; Jackson, MS; and file, no later than August 31, 1998, a (CDs), copies of all textual materials, New Orleans, LA. IC's east-west route notice of intent to participate. electronic workpapers, data bases and extends from Sioux City and Council Descriptions of responsive (including spreadsheets used to develop Bluffs, IA, in the West to Chicago in the inconsistent) applications, and petitions quantitative evidence. Textual materials East. for waiver or clarification regarding must be in, or convertible by and into, The principal routes of the combined