Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 109 Part 1.djvu/854

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109 STAT. 838 PUBLIC LAW 104-88 —DEC. 29, 1995 Public "(jf) The Board shall collect, maintain, and keep open for public information. inspection a railway equipment register consistent with the manner and format maintained by the Interstate Commerce Commission as of the effective date of the ICC Termination Act of 1995. "SUBCHAPTER II—COMBINATIONS "§ 11321. Scope of authority "(a) The authority of the Board under this subchapter is exclusive. A rail carrier or corporation participating in or resulting from a transaction approved by or exempted by the Board under this subchapter may carry out the transaction, own and operate property, and exercise control or franchises acquired through the transaction without the approval of a State authority. A rail carrier, corporation, or person participating in that approved or exempted transaction is exempt from the antitrust laws and from all other law, including State and municipal law, as necessary to let that rail carrier, corporation, or person carry out the transaction, hold, maintain, and operate property, and exercise control or franchises acquired through the transaction. However, if a purchase and sale, a lease, or a corporate consolidation or merger is involved in the transaction, the carrier or corporation may carry out the transaction only with the assent of a majority, or the number required under applicable State law, of the votes of the holders of the capital stock of that corporation entitled to vote. The vote must occur at a regular meeting, or special meeting called for that purpose, of those stockholders and the notice of the meeting must indicate its purpose. "(b) A power granted under this subchapter to a carrier or corporation is in addition to and changes its powers under its corporate charter and under State law. Action under this subchapter does not establish or provide for establishing a corporation under the laws of the United States. ^§ 11322. Limitation on pooling and division of transportation or earnings "(a) A rail carrier providing transportation subject to the jurisdiction of the Board under this part may not agree or combine with another of those rail carriers to pool or divide traffic or services or any part of their earnings without the approval of the Board under this section or section 11123 of this title. The Board may approve and authorize the agreement or combination if the rail carriers involved assent to the pooling or division and the Board finds that a pooling or division of traffic, services, or earnings— "(1) will be in the interest of better service to the public or of economy of operation; and "(2) will not unreasonably restrain competition. "(b) The Board may impose conditions governing the pooling or division and may approve and authorize payment of a reasonable consideration between the rail carriers. "(c) The Board may begin a proceeding under this section on its own initiative or on application.

    • § 11323. Consolidation, merger, and acquisition of control

"(a) The following transactions involving rail carriers providing transportation subject to the jurisdiction of the Board under this