study of aid to rail transportation

study of aid to rail transportation Sec. 902. (a) Study.—Within 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the. Secretary shall nutate a comprehensive study and analysis of (1) past and present policies and methods of providing Federal aid for the construction, improvement, operation, and 90 STAT. 148maintenance of rail transportation facilities and services, (2) the relationship of such policies and methods to the policies and methods of providing Federal aid for other modes of transportation, and (3) whether common carrier’s by railroad have been or are disadvantaged by reason of such policies and methods, and, if such carriers have been or are disadvantaged, the extent of such disadvantage. The Secretary shall examine ways and means by which future policy respecting Federal aid to rail transportation may be so determined and developed as to encourage the establishment and maintenance of an open and competitive market in which rail transportation competes on equal terms with other modes of transportation, and in which market shares are governed by customer preference based upon the service and full economic costs. (b) Cooperation.—The Commission and the Secretary of the Army are authorized and directed to cooperate fully with the Secretary in carrying out the purposes of this section, and also to submit such independent and separate reports, comments, and recommendations as they consider appropriate. (c) Information.—In carrying out the purposes of this section, the Secretary may require all common carriers by railroad to file such reports containing such information as the Secretary considers necessary. The Secretary shall have the power to require by subpoena the production of such books, papers, tariffs, contracts, agreements, or other documents or data of a common carrier by railroad related to the study and analysis as he considers relevant. The Secretary may treat as confidential and privileged any document, data, or information received for such study and analysis, notwithstanding the provisions of section 552 of title 5, United States Code. (d) Report to Congress.—Within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall complete the study and analysis authorized and directed by this section, and shall transmit a report to the Congress containing his findings and conclusions, together with his recommendations for a sound and rational policy with respect to Federal aid to rail transportation.