STB

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board announced that Christensen Associates, a Madison, Wisc.-based economic consulting firm, has completed a supplemental report to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board on Capacity and Infrastructure Investment. The report augments the findings of Christensen Associates’ November 2008 independent study entitled A Study of Competition in the U.S. Freight Railroad Industry and Analysis of Proposals that Might Enhance Competition. The Report looks at different measures of railroad capacity and analyzes how that capacity is affected by anticipated changes in the demand for rail services and the productivity of rail assets.  As with Christensen Associates’ 2008 Study,

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board announced today that it will hold a public hearing April 30 to examine issues related to the Uniform Railroad Costing System (URCS) used by the Board to determine a railroad’s variable costs in a variety of regulatory proceedings. URCS calculates system-average variable costs for each Class I railroad based on information annually reported to the Board. The Board believes it is time for a review of URCS to determine whether, and to what extent, modifications are needed to account for recent changes in agency procedures, to improve system outputs, and to further the national

WASHINGTON — Acting Chairman Francis P. Mulvey announced his appointment of Rachel Danish Campbell as director of the STB’s Office of Proceedings. Campbell’s appointment is effective April 13. Since 2006, Campbell has served as Chief of Staff to former STB Chairman Charles D. Nottingham. Prior to that, Campbell served on the staff of the STB’s Office of the General Counsel, and as an attorney-advisor to then-Chairman Roger Nober. She has extensive litigation experience, and has represented the STB before U.S. Courts of Appeal and in numerous other forums and capacities. Prior to joining the agency, she was a partner at

WASHINGTON — Surface Transportation Board Chairman Francis P. Mulvey announced his appointment of Anika Sanders Cooper as his attorney-advisor. Cooper joins Mulvey’s staff of Jamie P. Rennert, chief of staff; and Judith A. Leader, special assistant. Both Rennert and Leader served Mulvey during his prior positions as Board Member and Vice Chairman. Since August 2006, Cooper has served as an attorney in the Board’s Office of the General Counsel.  Before joining the agency, she served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia in the area of civil antitrust enforcement (2003-06).