Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chairman Martin J. Oberman announced that the STB has formed a passenger rail working group consisting of STB staff. The new working group is charged with developing plans to enhance the agency’s passenger rail oversight efforts and to ensure it will fully meet its obligations to enforce new on-time performance requirements.

“To most effectively prepare the Board for its upcoming responsibilities in monitoring and enforcing Amtrak on-time performance, we need to quickly take stock of existing resources and determine which processes will most expeditiously bring disputes to a fair resolution,” said Chairman Oberman. “The formation of an internal agency passenger rail working group will will give us a firm foundation upon which to proceed. In the long run, we look forward to working closely with Amtrak and the freight railroads in the nation’s effort to improve its intercity passenger rail system.”

The Southern Rail Commission praises this move and looks forward to the STB’s upcoming hearing on Amtrak’s request to begin passenger rail service between Mobile and New Orleans in January 2022.