§1115.2. Initial decisions. — Inbound Citations

(c) For purposes of this rule, see the Board's rules governing appellate procedures at §§ 1115.2 and 1115.3 to determine when a decision becomes administratively final.

In the event the adjudicative officer is not the entire Board, the applicant or agency counsel may seek review of the initial decision on the fee application, or the Board may review the decision on its own initiative, in accordance with § 1115.2. If no appeal is taken, the initial decision becomes the action of the Board 20 days after it is issued. If the adjudicative officer is the entire Board, § 1115.3 applies.

(3) All submissions for appeals of the arbitration decision to the Board shall be filed under seal. After the party has submitted its filing to the Board under seal, the party shall prepare a public version of the filing with any information having an effect or impact on the marketplace redacted. A party may also attach to its petition or reply excerpts from any materials from the underlying arbitration record that are necessary support for its petition or reply. Such attachments will be treated as confidential and will not count toward the page limit set forth in 49 CFR 1115.2. The party will then provide the opposing party an opportunity to request further redactions. After consulting with the opposing party on redactions, the party shall file the public version with the Board for posting on its website.

These rules do not relieve the requirement that a party exhaust its administrative remedies before going to court. Any action appealable as of right must be timely appealed. If an appeal, discretionary appeal, or petition seeking reopening is filed under § 1115.2 or § 1115.3 of this part, before or after a petition seeking judicial review is filed with the courts, the Board will act upon the appeal or petition after advising the court of its pendency unless action might interfere with the court's jurisdiction.

(a) A party may petition the Board to modify or vacate an arbitral award. The appeal must be filed within 20 days of service upon the Board of a final arbitration decision, and is subject to the page limitations of § 1115.2(d) of this chapter. Copies of the appeal shall be served upon all parties in accordance with the Board's rules at part 1104 of this chapter. The appealing party shall also serve a copy of its appeal upon the arbitrator(s). Replies to such appeals shall be filed within 20 days of the filing of the appeal with the Board, and shall be subject to the page limitations of § 1115.2(d) of this chapter.

(1) A party appealing the arbitration decision shall file under seal a petition to modify or vacate the arbitration decision, setting forth its full argument for vacating or modifying the decision. The petition to vacate or modify the arbitration decision must be filed within 20 days from the date on which the arbitration decision was served on the parties. The party appealing must include both a redacted and unredacted copy of the arbitration decision. The petition shall be subject to the page limitations of § 1115.2(d) of this chapter.

An appeal of right to the Board is permitted. The appeal must be filed within 20 days upon the Board of a final arbitration decision, unless a later date is authorized by the Board, and is subject to the page limitations of § 1115.2(d). For arbitrations authorized under part 1108, subparts A and B, of this chapter, the Board's standard of review of arbitration decisions will be narrow, and relief will only be granted on grounds that the decision is inconsistent with sound principles of rail regulation economics, a clear abuse of arbitral authority or discretion occurred, the decision directly contravenes statutory authority, or the award limitation was violated. For labor arbitration decisions, the Board's standard of review is set forth in Chicago and North Western Transportation Company—Abandonment—near Dubuque & Oelwein, Iowa, 3 I.C.C.2d 729 (1987), aff'd sub nom. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers v. Interstate Commerce Commission, 862 F.2d 330 (D.C. Cir. 1988). The timely filing of a petition will not automatically stay the effect of the arbitration decision. A stay may be requested under § 1115.3(f).