(a) The following specific files and records in the custody of the Records Officer of the Surface Transportation Board are available to the public and may be inspected at the Board's office upon reasonable request during business hours (between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday):

(1) Copies of tariffs and railroad transportation contract summaries filed with the Board pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 13702(b) and 10709(d), respectively.

(2) Annual and other periodic reports filed with the Board pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 11145.

(3) All docket files, which include documents of record in a proceeding.

(4) File and index of instruments or documents recorded pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 11301.

(5) Surface Transportation Board Administrative Issuances.

(b) The following records, so-called “reading room” documents, are available for inspection and copying at the Board's office:

(1) Final decisions, including concurring and dissenting opinions, as well as orders, made in the adjudication of cases;

(2) Those statements of policy and interpretations that have been adopted by the agency and are not published in the Federal Register;

(3) Administrative staff manuals and instructions to staff that affect a member of the public; and

(4) Copies of all records, regardless of form or format, that have been released to any person under 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(3) and that, because of the nature of their subject matter, the agency determines have become or are likely to become the subject of subsequent requests for substantially the same records.

(c) The Board maintains, and makes available for inspection and copying, indexes of the documents described in paragraph (b) of this section. Final decisions are indexed in the “Surface Transportation Board Daily Releases”, which is issued by the Board every working day. This document also explains how copies of decisions can be purchased. The remaining documents are indexed as they are made available.

(d) Documents described in paragraph (b) of this section that were created on and after November 1, 1996, are indexed by service date or date of issuance and are available for viewing and downloading from the Board's Electronic Reading Room at www.stb.gov, the Board's website. Final decisions are maintained in a database that is full text searchable.