(a) Board-Initiated Investigation means an investigation instituted by the Board pursuant to an Order of Investigation and conducted in accordance with Section 12 of the Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act of 2015, now incorporated and codified at 49 U.S.C. 11701.

(b) Formal Board Proceeding means a public proceeding instituted by the Board pursuant to an Order to Show Cause after a Board-Initiated Investigation has been conducted.

(c) Investigating officer(s) means the individual(s) designated by the Board in an Order of Investigation to conduct a Board-Initiated Investigation.

(d) Preliminary Fact-Finding means an informal fact-gathering inquiry conducted by Board staff prior to the opening of a Board-Initiated Investigation.

This part applies only to matters subject to Section 12 of the Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act of 2015, 49 U.S.C. 11701.

The Board staff may, in its discretion, conduct nonpublic Preliminary Fact-Finding, subject to the provisions of § 1122.6, to determine if a matter presents an alleged violation that could be of national or regional significance and subject to the Board's jurisdiction under 49 U.S.C. Subtitle IV, Part A, and warrants a Board-Initiated Investigation. Board staff shall inform the subject of Preliminary Fact-Finding that Preliminary Fact-Finding has commenced. Where it appears from Preliminary Fact-Finding that a Board-Initiated Investigation is warranted, staff shall so recommend to the Board. Where it appears from the Preliminary Fact-Finding that a Board-Initiated Investigation is not warranted, staff shall conclude its Preliminary Fact-Finding and notify any parties involved that the process has been terminated.

The Board may, in its discretion, commence a nonpublic Board-Initiated Investigation of any matter of national or regional significance that is subject to the jurisdiction of the Board under 49 U.S.C. Subtitle IV, Part A, subject to the provisions of § 1122.6, by issuing an Order of Investigation. Orders of Investigation shall state the basis for the Board-Initiated Investigation and identify all Board staff who are authorized to conduct the investigation as Investigating Officer(s). The Board may add or remove Investigating Officer(s) during the course of a Board-Initiated Investigation. To the extent practicable, an Investigating Officer shall not participate in any decisionmaking functions in any Formal Board Proceeding(s) opened as a result of any Board-Initiated Investigation(s) that he or she conducted.

(a) After notifying the party subject to Preliminary Fact-Finding that Preliminary Fact-Finding has commenced, the Board staff shall, within a reasonable period of time, either:

(1) Conclude Preliminary Fact-Finding and notify any parties involved that the process has been terminated; or

(2) Recommend to the Board that a Board-Initiated Investigation is warranted.

(b) Not later than 30 days after commencing a Board-Initiated Investigation, the Investigating Officer(s) shall provide the parties under investigation a copy of the Order of Investigation. If the Board adds or removes Investigating Officer(s) during the course of the Board-Initiated Investigation, it shall provide written notification to the parties under investigation.

(c) Not later than 275 days after issuance of the Order of Investigation, the Investigating Officer(s) shall submit to the Board and the parties under investigation:

(1) Any recommendations made as a result of the Board-Initiated Investigation; and

(2) A summary of the findings that support such recommendations.

(d) Not later than 90 days after receiving the recommendations and summary of findings, the Board shall decide whether to dismiss the Board-Initiated Investigation if no further action is warranted or initiate a Formal Board Proceeding to determine whether any provision of 49 U.S.C. Subtitle IV, Part A, has been violated in accordance with section 12 of the Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act of 2015. The Board shall dismiss any Board-Initiated Investigation that is not concluded with administrative finality within one year after the date on which it was commenced.

(e) A Formal Board Proceeding commences upon issuance of a public Order to Show Cause. The Order to Show Cause shall state the basis for, and the issues to be considered during, the Formal Board Proceeding and set forth a procedural schedule.

(a) All information and documents obtained under § 1122.3 or § 1122.4, whether or not obtained pursuant to a Board request or subpoena, and all activities conducted by the Board under this part prior to the opening of a Formal Board Proceeding, shall be treated as nonpublic by the Board and its staff except to the extent that:

(1) The Board, in accordance with 49 CFR 1001.4(c), (d), and (e), directs or authorizes the public disclosure of activities conducted under this part prior to the opening of a Formal Board Proceeding. If any of the activities being publicly disclosed implicate records claimed to be confidential commercial information, the Board shall notify the submitter prior to disclosure in accordance with 49 CFR 1001.4(b) and provide an opportunity to object to disclosure in accordance with 49 CFR 1001.4(d);

(2) The information or documents are made a matter of public record during the course of an administrative proceeding; or

(3) Disclosure is required by the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552 or other relevant provision of law.

(b) Procedures by which persons submitting information to the Board pursuant to this part of title 49, chapter X, subchapter B, of the Code of Federal Regulations may specifically seek confidential treatment of information for purposes of the Freedom of Information Act disclosure are set forth in § 1122.7. A request for confidential treatment of information for purposes of Freedom of Information Act disclosure shall not, however, prevent disclosure for law enforcement purposes or when disclosure is otherwise found appropriate in the public interest and permitted by law.

Any person that produces documents to the Board pursuant to § 1122.3 or § 1122.4 may claim that some or all of the information contained in a particular document or documents is exempt from the mandatory public disclosure requirements of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552, is information referred to in 18 U.S.C. 1905, or is otherwise exempt by law from public disclosure. In such case, the person making such a claim shall, at the time the person produces the document to the Board, indicate on the document that a request for confidential treatment is being made for some or all of the information in the document. In such case, the person making such a claim also shall file a brief statement specifying the specific statutory justification for non-disclosure of the information in the document for which confidential treatment is claimed. If the person states that the information comes within the exception in 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4) for trade secrets and commercial or financial information, and the information is responsive to a subsequent FOIA request to the Board, 49 CFR 1001.4 shall apply.

No party who is not the subject of a Board-Initiated Investigation may intervene or participate as a matter of right in any such Board-Initiated Investigation under this part.

The Investigating Officer(s), in connection with any Board-Initiated Investigation, may interview or depose witnesses, inspect property and facilities, and request and require the production of any information, documents, books, papers, correspondence, memoranda, agreements, or other records, in any form or media, that are likely to be directly relevant to the issues of the Board-Initiated Investigation. The Investigating Officer(s), in connection with a Board-Initiated Investigation, also may issue subpoenas, in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 1321, to compel the attendance of witnesses, the production of any of the records and other documentary evidence listed above, and access to property and facilities.

Transcripts, if any, of investigative testimony shall be recorded solely by the official reporter or other person or by means authorized by the Board or by the Investigating Officer(s). A witness who has given testimony pursuant to this part shall be entitled, upon written request, to procure a transcript of the witness' own testimony or, upon proper identification, shall have the right to inspect the official transcript of the witness' own testimony.

(a) Any person who is compelled or requested to furnish documentary evidence or testimony in a Board-Initiated Investigation shall, upon request, be shown the Order of Investigation. Copies of Orders of Investigation shall not be furnished, for their retention, to such persons requesting the same except with the express approval of the Chairman.

(b) Any person compelled to appear, or who appears in person at a Board-Initiated Investigation by request or permission of the Investigating Officer may be accompanied, represented, and advised by counsel, as provided by the Board's regulations.

(c) The right to be accompanied, represented, and advised by counsel shall mean the right of a person testifying to have an attorney present with him during any aspect of a Board-Initiated Investigation and to have this attorney advise his client before, during and after the conclusion of such examination.

(a) When producing documents under § 1122.4, the producing party shall submit a statement certifying that such person has made a reasonable search for the responsive documents and is producing all the documents called for by the Investigating Officer(s), subject to any search protocols agreed to by the Investigating Officer(s) and producing parties. If any responsive document(s) are not produced for any reason, the producing party shall state the reason therefor.

(b) If any responsive documents are withheld because of a claim of the attorney-client privilege, work product privilege, or other applicable privilege, the producing party shall submit a list of such documents which shall, for each document, identify the attorney involved, the client involved, the date of the document, the person(s) shown on the document to have prepared and/or sent the document, and the person(s) shown on the document to have received copies of the document.

Any party subject to a Board-Initiated Investigation may, at any time during the course of a Board-Initiated Investigation, submit to the Board written statements of facts or circumstances, with any relevant supporting evidence, concerning the subject of that investigation.

(a) After conducting sufficient investigation and prior to submitting recommendations and a summary of findings to the Board, the Investigating Officer, in his or her discretion, may inform the parties under investigation (orally or in writing) of the proposed recommendations and summary of findings that may be submitted to the Board. If the Investigating Officer so chooses, he or she shall also advise the parties under investigation that they may submit a written statement, as explained below, to the Investigating Officer prior to the consideration by the Board of the recommendations and summary of findings. This optional process is in addition to, and does not limit in any way, the rights of parties under investigation otherwise provided for in this part.

(b) Unless otherwise provided for by the Investigating Officer, parties under investigation may submit a written statement, as described above, within 14 days after of being informed by the Investigating Officer of the proposed recommendation(s) and summary of findings. Such statements shall be no more than 20 pages, not including any supporting data, evidence, and verified statements that may be attached to the written statement, double spaced on 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper, setting forth the views of the parties under investigation of factual or legal matters or other arguments relevant to the commencement of a Formal Board Proceeding. Any statement of fact included in the submission must be sworn to by a person with personal knowledge of such fact.

(c) Such written statements, if the parties under investigation choose to submit, shall be submitted to the Investigating Officer. The Investigating Officer shall provide any written statement(s) from the parties under investigation to the Board at the same time that he or she submits his or her recommendations and summary of findings to the Board.