Surface Transportation Board

The Surface Transportation Board (STB ) is the U.S. regulatory authority for all transportation services with the exception of air traffic.

It was established in 1995 by the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act and thus replacing the existing Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC ), who held this function since 1887, but with a much smaller range of tasks. The founding resulted from widespread dissatisfaction with the ICC, which had been criticized by some one-sided focus on the interests of road haulage companies. The main criticism was often judged as wettbewerbsverhindernd restrictive licensing practice of the ICC, which is largely denied the railroads genuine competition.

The main task of the STB is the exercise of regulatory functions in the transport sector, especially to freight tariffs and corporate mergers in the transportation sector, the so-called mergers. Furthermore, the STB has to transport railroad, an arbitration function against freight railroads and shippers. The STB is bound in its decisions by any instructions, but organizationally to the Department of Transportation ( Department of Transportation ( DoT ) ) attached.

In the jurisdiction of the STB following areas covered:

• Railroad Rates and Service
• Restructuring of the railway sector (mergers, line sales, new lines, decommissioning )
• Truck and shipping rates
• Distance bus services ( corporate structures, financing and operating matters )
• Tariffs for pipelines, if these are not already regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

The STB has its headquarters in Washington, D.C.