AOK Railroad Dodges 60-Day Notices to Extend BNSF Line Lease
Published Date: 9/10/2025
Notice
Summary
Arkansas-Oklahoma Railroad (AOK) is extending its lease to keep running trains on a 10.7-mile rail line in Shawnee, Oklahoma, that it’s been operating since 2021. They’ve promised to keep working smoothly with BNSF Railway and are asking to skip the usual 60-day labor notice before this extension kicks in. This move keeps things rolling without big changes to costs or service.
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Waiver of 60‑Day Labor Notice
If you work on the Shawnee, Oklahoma rail line, Arkansas‑Oklahoma Railroad (AOK) has asked the Surface Transportation Board to waive the normal 60‑day advance labor notice required by 49 CFR 1150.42(e). AOK says its current annual revenues exceed $5,000,000 (which triggers the notice requirement) and has filed the waiver request; petitions to stay must be filed by September 17, 2025, and the Board will set the exemption's effective date when it rules on the waiver.
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Key Dates
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