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HR 2125 110th Congress House

Railroad Competition and Service Improvement Act of 2007

Official title: To amend title 49, United States Code, to ensure competition in the rail industry, enable rail customers to obtain reliable rail service, and provide those cus… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend title 49, United States Code, to ensure competition in the rail industry, enable rail customers to obtain reliable rail service, and provide those customers with a reasonable process for challenging rate and service disputes.

Introduced: May 8, 2008 See on congress.gov
Transportation and Public Works Administrative feesAdministrative procedureAdministrative remediesAntitrust law
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CommerceCommercial arbitrationCompetitionConsumer complaintsDepartment of TransportationExecutive reorganizationGovernment Operations and PoliticsGovernmental investigationsInfrastructureInjunctionsLawRailroad engineeringRailroad freight operationsRailroad mergersRailroad ratesRailroadsScience, Technology, CommunicationsSurface Transportation BoardWeb sites
This bill died when the 110th Congress ended
It never became law before the 110th Congress (2007–2008) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 4, 2007
Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
May 3, 2007
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
May 3, 2007
Introduced in House
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 Latest action May 4, 2007

Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Railroad Competition and Service Improvement Act of 2007 - Sets forth Surface Transportation Board directives calling for effective competition among rail carriers and reliable rail transportation service for rail customers.

Requires a rail carrier, upon shipper request, to establish rates for transportation and provide requested service between any two points on the carrier's system.

Prohibits the Board from issuing a certificate authorizing construction and operation of railroad lines, short line purchases by Class II and Class III rail carriers, or consolidation, merger, and acquisition of control of rail carriers, or exempt from such certificate requirements any person, transaction, or service with respect to such activity, if the activity involves a transfer of interest in a line of railroad, from a Class I rail carrier to a Class II or III rail carrier, and the activity would: (1) restrict the ability of the Class II or Class III rail carrier to interchange traffic with other rail carriers; (2) restrict competition of rail carriers in the region affected by the activity in a manner that would violate U.S. antitrust laws; or (3) require higher per car interchange rates for Class II or Class III rail carriers to interchange traffic with other rail carriers. Prescribes procedures for Board review of any activity alleged to have resulted in a restriction of competition.

Makes mandatory (currently, discretionary) entry by rail carriers into reciprocal switching agreements where the Board finds it is practicable and in the public interest, or where such agreements are necessary to provide competitive rail service.

Requires the Board to designate any state or substantial part of a state as an area of inadequate rail competition after making certain findings.

Requires the Board to post rail service complaints on its website.

Sets forth time limits for the Board to act on complaints filed alleging unlawfulness of a new or revised rail rate, rule, or practice.

Establishes the Office of Rail Customer Advocacy.

Grants rail customers access to a Board process for determining rail rate reasonableness in railroad market dominance cases.

Requires the Board to submit certain rail rate, service, and other disputes to arbitration.

Authorizes the Board to investigate rail carrier violations on its own initiative (under current law, the Board is authorized to investigate only on complaint). Requires the Board (currently, discretionary) to initiate an investigation upon receiving a complaint alleging rail carrier violations.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2125: Railroad Competition and Service Improvement Act of 2007. 110th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/110-HR-2125/
MLA
"H.R. 2125: Railroad Competition and Service Improvement Act of 2007." 110th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/110-HR-2125/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 2125, 110th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/110-HR-2125/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 2125: Railroad Competition and Service Improvement Act of 2007](https://openamerica.io/bill/110-HR-2125/)
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