STATE AND INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION RAIL RELATIONS

This paper presents an outline of state and federal roles in inter- and intrastate rail decisions. Regulating intrastate rates came under Interstate Commerce Commission jurisdiction in 1920, and as late as 1958 the federal role was being extended. The Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 reversed the role, giving jurisdiction over intrastate rate questions to the states, but with certain strict rules. Passenger service and standards of service adequacy fell largely to Washington under the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964. Today, the Interstate Commerce Commission and Urban Mass Transportation Administration are calling for more state and local participation in the planning for survival and operation of passenger service. Line abandonments may also be avoided through state planning and state and federal subsidy under the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act.