STB reiterates decision to hear status of Amtrak Gulf Coast case

The Surface Transportation Board will hold a Feb. 14 hearing on a settlement agreement between Amtrak, CSX, Norfolk Southern Railway and Alabama port officials — despite a request from those parties to cancel the hearing.

In January, the board called the hearing to receive an update on the status of the agreement that would allow Amtrak to begin offering passenger service along a Gulf Coast rail line. The STB also required the parties to provide additional information on their agreement by Feb. 1.

In their Feb. 1 update, the parties outlined progress achieved "diligently and in good faith" working through the terms and conditions in the agreement. After describing several actions taken and ongoing progress, the railroads and port officials wrote that the Feb. 14 hearing was unnecessary because "the parties have no further information to offer."

But in its Feb. 6 response, the STB ruled it will conduct the hearing "to obtain information about the status of the implementation of the settlement agreement." The board’s decision can be read here.