Title 45, RailroadsRelease 119-110
§1112 Interstate Commerce Commission Proceedings
Title 45 › CHAPTER 20 — NORTHEAST RAIL SERVICE › § 1112
Summary
The Commission must issue a final decision no more than 180 days after it gets an application under section 11324 or 11325 of title 49, with or without a hearing. That 180‑day rule applies in two situations: when the case involves a railroad in the Region that was in bankruptcy under section 77 of the Bankruptcy Act on November 4, 1979, and when it involves a profitable railroad in the Region that received a loan under section 721(a). If the Secretary finds there is a sale agreement between a profitable regional railroad that got a section 721(a) loan and a prospective buyer, the Secretary may limit the United States’ claim on that railroad’s debt to the kind of claim that would attach in bankruptcy or a major sale or liquidation. The Secretary can replace the debt with contingency notes payable only from the railroad’s operating assets, allow later debt to have higher priority if agreed, and enter agreements to cancel, change, or exchange notes or securities held by U.S. agencies.
Full Legal Text
Title 45, §1112
Railroads, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Final decisions involving railroads in bankruptcy
Notwithstanding any other provision of subtitle IV of title 49, in any proceeding before the Commission under section 11324 or 11325 of title 49 involving a railroad in the Region, as defined in section 702 of this title, which was in a bankruptcy proceeding under section 77 of the Bankruptcy Act on November 4, 1979, the Commission shall, with or without a hearing, issue a final decision within a period not to exceed 180 days after receipt of an application under either such section.
(b)Final decisions involving profitable railroads
Notwithstanding any other provision of subtitle IV of title 49, in any proceeding before the Commission under section 11324 or 11325 of title 49 involving a profitable railroad in the Region, as defined in section 702 of this title, which received a loan under section 721(a) of this title, the Commission shall, with or without a hearing, issue a final decision within a period not to exceed 180 days after receipt of an application under either such section.
(c)Interest of United States attaching in bankruptcy, liquidation, abandonment, etc.
(1)If the Secretary determines under subsection (b) that there is an agreement between a profitable railroad in the Region (as defined in section 702 of this title) which received a loan under section 721(a) of this title and a prospective purchaser for the sale of such railroad, the Secretary shall limit the interest of the United States in any debt of such a railroad to an interest which attaches to such debt in the event of bankruptcy or substantial sale or liquidation of the assets of the railroad. The Secretary may substitute for the evidence of such debt contingency notes payable solely from the railroad operating assets then securing such debt, including reinvestments thereof, or such other contingency notes as the Secretary deems appropriate and which conform to the terms set forth in this subsection.
(2)If the interest of the United States is limited under paragraph (1), any new debt issued by such a railroad subsequent to the issuance of the debt described in paragraph (1) may have such higher priority in the event of bankruptcy, liquidation, or abandonment of the assets of such a railroad than the debt described in such paragraph as the Secretary and the railroad may agree.
(3)In carrying out the duties under this subsection, the Secretary may (A) enter into such agreements, (B) in accordance with any such agreements, cancel or cause to be cancelled or amend or cause to be amended any notes or securities currently held by agencies or instrumentalities of the United States, and (C) accept in exchange as substitution therefor such instruments evidencing the indebtedness owed to such agencies or instrumentalities as, in the Secretary’s judgment, will effectuate the purposes of this subsection.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
section 77 of the Bankruptcy Act, referred to in subsec. (a), was classified to section 205 of former Title 11, Bankruptcy. The Bankruptcy Act (act July 1, 1898, ch. 541, 30 Stat. 544) was repealed effective Oct. 1, 1979, by Pub. L. 95–598, §§ 401(a), 402(a), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2682, section 101 of which enacted revised Title 11. For current provisions relating to railroad reorganization, see subchapter IV (§ 1161 et seq.) of chapter 11 of Title 11.
Amendments
1995—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 104–88 substituted “section 11324 or 11325” for “section 11344 or 11345”. 1983—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 97–468, § 510(1), substituted “bankruptcy or substantial sale” for “bankruptcy, substantial sale,” after “in the event of”, and in last sentence substituted permission for the Secretary to substitute contingency notes for evidence of the debt for the requirement that the Secretary substitute contingency notes for evidence of the debt and inserted provision that the contingency notes be payable solely from the railroad operating assets then securing such debt, including reinvestments thereof, or be other contingency notes as the Secretary deems appropriate. Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 97–468, § 510(2), substituted permission that new debt may have such higher priority in the event of bankruptcy, liquidation, or abandonment of the assets of such a railroad than the debt described in par. (1) as the Secretary and the railroad may agree for the requirement that such debt have higher priority in the event of bankruptcy, liquidation, or abandonment of the assets of Conrail than the debt described in par. (1). Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 97–468, § 510(3), added par. (3).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1995 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–88 effective Jan. 1, 1996, see section 2 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 1301 of Title 49, Transportation. Abolition of Interstate Commerce Commission and
Transfer of Functions
Interstate Commerce Commission abolished and functions of Commission transferred, except as otherwise provided in Pub. L. 104–88, to Surface Transportation Board effective Jan. 1, 1996, by section 1302 of Title 49, Transportation, and section 101 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as a note under section 1301 of Title 49. References to Interstate Commerce Commission deemed to refer to Surface Transportation Board, a member or employee of the Board, or Secretary of Transportation, as appropriate, see section 205 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as a note under section 1301 of Title 49.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
45 U.S.C. § 1112
Title 45, Railroads
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110