This part is designed to ensure adequate and coordinated consideration of safety integration issues, by both the Board and the Federal Railroad Administration, the agency within the Department of Transportation responsible for the enforcement of railroad safety, in the implementation of rail transactions subject to the Board's jurisdiction. It establishes the procedures by which the Board will consider safety integration plans in connection with its approval and authorization of transactions for which the Board has concluded such consideration is required.

The following definitions apply to this part:

Act means the ICC Termination Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-88, 109 Stat. 803 (1995).

Amalgamation of operations, as defined by the Federal Railroad Administration at 49 CFR 244.9, means the migration, combination, or unification of one set of railroad operations with another set of railroad operations, including, but not limited to, the allocation of resources affecting railroad operations (e.g., changes in personnel, track, bridges, or communication or signal systems; or use or deployment of maintenance-of-way equipment, locomotives, or freight or passenger cars).

Applicant means a Class I railroad or a Class II railroad engaging in a transaction subject to this part.

Board means the Surface Transportation Board.

Class I or Class II railroad has the meaning assigned by the Board's regulations (49 CFR part 1201; General Instructions 1-1), as those regulations may be revised by the Board (including modifications in class thresholds based on the revenue deflator formula) from time to time.

Environmental documentation means either an Environmental Assessment or an Environmental Impact Statement prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and Board's environmental rules at 49 CFR part 1105.

Federal Railroad Administration (“FRA”) means the agency within the Department of Transportation responsible for railroad safety.

Office of Environmental Analysis (“OEA”) means the Office that prepares the Board's environmental documents and analyses.

Safety Integration Plan (“SIP”) means a comprehensive written plan, prepared in accordance with FRA guidelines or regulations, explaining the process by which Applicants intend to integrate the operation of the properties involved in a manner that would maintain safety at every step of the integration process, in the event the Board approves the transaction that requires a SIP.

Transaction means an application by a Class I railroad that proposes to consolidate with, merge with, or acquire control under 49 U.S.C. 11323(a) of another Class I railroad, or with a Class II railroad where there is a proposed amalgamation of operations, as defined by FRA's regulations at 49 CFR 244.9. “Transaction” also includes a proceeding other than those specified above if the Board concludes that a SIP is necessary in its proper consideration of the application or other request for authority.

A SIP shall be filed by any applicant requesting authority to undertake a transaction as defined under § 1106.2 of this part.

(a) Each applicant in a transaction subject to this part shall file a proposed SIP in accordance with the informational requirements prescribed at 49 CFR part 244, or other FRA guidelines or requirements regarding the contents of a SIP, with OEA and FRA no later than 60 days from the date the application is filed with the Board.

(b) The proposed SIP shall be made part of the environmental record in the Board proceeding and dealt with in the ongoing environmental review process under 49 CFR part 1105. The procedures governing the process shall be as follows:

(1) In accordance with 49 CFR 244.17, FRA will provide its findings and conclusions on the adequacy of the proposed SIP (i.e., assess whether the proposed SIP establishes a process that provides a reasonable assurance of safety in executing the proposed transaction) to OEA at a date sufficiently in advance of the Board's issuance of its draft environmental documentation in the case to permit incorporation in the draft environmental document.

(2) The draft environmental documentation shall incorporate the proposed SIP, any revisions or modifications to it based on further consultations with FRA, and FRA's written comments regarding the SIP. The public may review and comment on the draft environmental documentation within the time limits prescribed by OEA.

(3) OEA will independently review each proposed SIP. In its final environmental documentation, OEA will address written comments on the proposed SIP received during the time established for submitting comments on the draft environmental documentation. The Board then will consider the full environmental record, including the information concerning the SIP, in arriving at its decision in the case.

(4) If the Board approves the transaction and adopts the SIP, it will require compliance with the SIP as a condition to its approval. Each applicant involved in the transaction then shall coordinate with FRA in implementing the approved SIP, including any amendments thereto. FRA has provided in its rules at 49 CFR 244.17(g) for submitting information to the Board during implementation of an approved transaction that will assist the Board in exercising its continuing jurisdiction over the transaction. FRA also has agreed to advise the Board when, in its view, the integration of the applicants' operations has been safely completed.

(c) If a SIP is required in transactions that would not be subject to environmental review under the Board's environmental rules at 49 CFR part 1105, the Board will develop appropriate case-specific SIP procedures based on the facts and circumstances presented.

The SIP requirements established by this part may be waived or modified by the Board where a railroad shows that relief is warranted or appropriate.

The Board reserves the right to require a SIP in cases other than those enumerated in this part, or to adopt modified SIP requirements in individual cases, if it concludes that doing so is necessary in its proper consideration of the application or other request for authority.