§ 1034.1 - Temporary authority.

§ 1034.1 Temporary authority.

(a) Authority. Any railroad subject to regulation under 49 U.S.C. 10501 may reasonably divert or reroute traffic to other carriers, if it is unable due to circumstances beyond its control promptly to transport traffic over a portion of its lines. Traffic necessarily diverted under this authority shall be rerouted to preserve as much as possible the participation and revenues of other carriers provided in the original routing. This authority may be exercised for no more than 30 days following the day on which the rerouting begins. If a carrier needs more than 30 days before its disability or the disability of a receiving carrier is cured, it may automatically extend its rerouting for additional 30-day periods. To extend the period, it must submit a written or electronic notice to the Association of American Railroads and the Board's Office of Public Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and Compliance explaining why the rerouting is necessary, when it began, when the disability occurred, why an extension is necessary, the specific lines disabled, the rerouting to be continued, which shippers are affected, and any other important facts.

(b) Concurrence by carriers. A railroad rerouting traffic must receive the concurrence of other railroads to which the traffic will be diverted or rerouted, before the rerouting or diversion begins. A rerouting carrier must also confirm the inability of a disabled receiving carrier to handle the traffic before rerouting that traffic. If the receiving carrier is no longer disabled, it must accept the traffic according to the routing originally designated.

(c) Notice by rerouting carrier. A rerouting carrier must notify the Board's Office of Public Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and Compliance, the Association of American Railroads, Car Service Division, as agent of all railroads subscribing to car service and car hire agreements, and the American Short Line Railroad Association before the rerouting or diversion begins. The originating carrier must notify each shipper at the time each shipment is rerouted or diverted and furnish to each shipper the rerouting, except when the disability requiring the rerouting occurs after the movement has begun. When a rerouting carrier submits to the Board a notice and explanation for an extension of the rerouting period, it must immediately also submit a copy of that notice and explanation to the AAR, the ASLRA and all shippers that have been affected or that the carrier believes will be affected or that request a copy.

(d) Notice by AAR. The AAR shall notify all carriers affected by rerouting or by an extension of a rerouting period, in a manner similar to that used for embargoes.

(e) Applicable rates. The rates applicable on shipments rerouted or diverted will be the rates applicable over the route originally designated at the time the shipments are tendered.

(f) Divisions. The carriers involved in the rerouting or diversion shall proceed even though no contracts, agreements, or arrangements exist between them at the time concerning the divisions of the rates applicable to the traffic. Divisions shall be, during the time the rerouting is in effect, those voluntarily agreed upon by the carriers.

[46 FR 21782, Apr. 14, 1981, as amended at 46 FR 26064, May 11, 1981; 64 FR 53267, Oct. 1, 1999; 81 FR 8852, Feb. 23, 2016]