Author: Dr. William Huneke

Commentary

What Might DOGE Do With STB?

The President-elect has created a non-government Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Their goal is to make a comprehensive review of the government and target wasteful

Commentary

Reciprocal Switching: Not Quite Done

The STB has issued its decision in Ex Parte 711 (Sub No. 2). When it issued its proposed rule in October, I wrote that I thought this was an appropriate next step:

Commentary

NS and Ancora: What is the Oracle’s View?

I have been interested reading the commentary on Ancora’s attempted takeover of Norfolk Southern (NS). I do not have a dog in this fight and am just a spectator sitting in the

Commentary

Practice Case or Rate Case?

Three days before Christmas, a coalition of tank car owners asked the Surface Transportation Board (STB) what happened to their complaint. The coalition alleges that Union Pacific’s fee for moving empty tank

Commentary

What Will STB Do With URCS?

Will this be the year STB revises or reforms URCS, the agency’s Uniform Rail Costing System? I doubt it. From my experience at STB, it is very hard to get the STB members to give URCS much attention. These days, with all the other items on STB’s agenda, I can’t imagine URCS has much priority, but STB is asking for comments.

Commentary

Just What Does STB Consider ‘Reasonable’?

Union Pacific and Sanimax are currently engaged in an interesting bit of litigation. It’s not a rate case or anything I worked on in my more than 15 years at the Surface Transportation Board. The question is whether UP has violated its “common carrier obligation.”