WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board on Tuesday (Nov. 5) granted requests by Amtrak and Southern California’s North County Transportation District to dismiss long-running cases before the board.
Amtrak had requested that the board dismiss its request for an order requiring CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern to allow operation of Gulf Coast service between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., filed in March 2021. The request for dismissal, filed on Oct. 24, said the terms of a still-confidential agreement reached earlier between Amtrak, CSX, NS, and the Alabama State Port Authority had been fulfilled, even though trains have yet to begin operation [see “Amtrak asks STB to dismiss Gulf Coast case,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 26, 2024]. Amtrak’s request was after groundbreaking for a new station platform and layover track in Mobile, and execution of a Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Grant for infrastructure work on the route, both of which occurred Oct. 22.
The North County Transportation District case, nearly as long-running — it was filed in August 2021 — originally sought an STB ruling to keep the city of Del Mar and California Coastal Commission from intervening in the NCTD’s plans to build a fence to deter trespassing in Del Mar, and to perform bluff-stabilization work. Its request for dismissal came on Oct. 10, based on agreements that saw the NCTD agree to different type of fence as part of a trail near the railroad tracks, and the Coastal Commission acceptance of the bluff stabilization work with certain conditions [see “San Diego agency asks STB to dismiss …,” News Wire, Oct. 14, 2024]. Dismissal of the STB case is a precondition to the Coastal Commission dropping a lawsuit against the NCTD.
