Railroad Regulations

To read about railroad companies in Hampton Roads, see: Railroads in Hampton Roads

To read about coal terminals in Hampton Roads and how they are are regulated, see:Coal Terminals in the Port of Virginia; Federal and State Terminal Permits

Surface Transportation Board

Role and Jurisdiction

The Surface Transportation Board is the federal agency that is charged with the economic regulation of various modes of surface transportation, primarily freight rail. It has jurisdiction over railroad rate, practice, and service issues and rail restructuring transactions, including mergers, line sales, line construction, and line abandonments.  The STB also has jurisdiction over certain passenger rail matters, the intercity bus industry, non-energy pipelines, household goods carriers’ tariffs, and rate regulation of marine freight shipping involving the United States and other U.S. territories and possessions.