Class I Railroads Operating in the U.S

Classic Trains General Discussion
21

Don’t take this as a challenge, but everything that I read points to the Surface Transportation Board.

Rich

22

My perhaps faulty recollection is that having a grade crossing of a public road can also bring in FRA oversight.

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23

Thank you all this is interesting reading , things I would never think of looking up on my own.

Chuck

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24

That’s true. The FRA is mainly involved with railroad safety and the efficient movement of people and goods by rail. But, the FRA does not concern itself with the classification system.

Rich

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25

I don’t doubt the FRA will involve itself if there is a grade crossing is involved. I should have mentioned that the extent of my knowledge of FRA regulations is limited to topics related to crews, namely: engineer/ conductor certifications, hours of service and general safety (part 217) compliance. I have never been involved in track or signal regs.

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26

So, what classifications do multinational regional railroad conglomerates like Genesee and Wyoming fall into? Or does a parent company have no classification? Instead, do the individual regional companies, like Ohio Central for example, receive the class status and pay any corresponding taxes etc. over and above what the parent company pays?

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27

I know nothing about Genesee & Wyoming, but I will paraphrase what Wikipedia has to say. Apparently, as a holding company, it is not included in any of the three classes.

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) is an American short line railroad holding company, that owns or maintains an interest in 122 railroads in the United States, Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom; and formerly in Australia.

The company grew from the Class III Genesee and Wyoming Railroad, founded in 1899. As of 2021, G&W owns or leases 116 freight railroads.

G&W’s four North American regions serve 42 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces and include 113 short line and regional freight railroads with more than 13,000 track-miles.

28

With respect to the FRA - it pretty much involves any safety related issue that was formerly handled by the ICC. Track and signals are very much the FRA’s purview.

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