On January 22, 2025, WLF filed comments with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) on its authority to punish railroad businesses for allegedly causing Amtrak to fall below performance standards on two lines running between New Orleans and Los Angeles. Federal law requires railroads that host Amtrak trains on their tracks to grant the passenger trains “preference” over freight-hauling trains. In a complaint filed with STB, Amtrak accuses several national and short-rail railroads of causing hundreds of delays and urges the agency to fine the companies. WLF argues that Amtrak’s interpretation of STB’s punitive authority is much broader than the relevant statute allows. The comment also urges STB to respect the targeted railroad companies’ right to fair notice of what preference standards apply to their conduct with Amtrak and emphasizes the companies’ due-process right to be heard on the definition of “preference.”
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