Today and Tomorrow there is a public hearing at STB 345 E st SW (Fed Center Subway) On defining common carrier status for railroads. a number of shippers and shippers associtions and utlities will talk about railroads[soapbox] and there contracts and the right of common carrier status. ----In plain english this means that railroads have been refusing service or charging more to smaller shippers then others. Shippers could also include state and regional agencies that want to start commuter train service. (one person speaking on this)…but mostly its grain co-ops and utilities complaing about bad service.[soapbox]