---
kind: "section"
citation: "49 U.S.C. § 10703"
title: "49"
title_heading: "Transportation"
number: "10703"
heading: "Authority for rail carriers to establish through routes"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/49/10703"
units:
  - "Subtitle IV — Interstate Transportation"
  - "Part A — Rail"
  - "Chapter 107 — Rates"
  - "Subchapter I — General Authority"
---

# §10703. Authority for rail carriers to establish through routes


[Rail carriers](/usc/49/10102.md?p=5) providing [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) subject to the jurisdiction of the [Board](/usc/49/10102.md?p=1) under this part shall establish through routes (including physical connections) with each other and with [water carriers](/usc/49/13102.md?p=26) providing [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) subject to [chapter 137](/usc/49/chstIV/ptB/ch137.md), shall establish [rates](/usc/49/10102.md?p=7) and classifications applicable to those routes, and shall establish rules for their operation and provide—

- (1) reasonable facilities for operating the through route; and
- (2) reasonable compensation to [persons](/usc/49/13102.md?p=18) entitled to compensation for services related to the through route.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 104–88, title I, § 102(a), Dec. 29, 1995, 109 Stat. 810.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 10703, Pub. L. 95–473, Oct. 17, 1978, 92 Stat. 1372; Pub. L. 96–296, § 22(a), (h), July 1, 1980, 94 Stat. 812, 814; Pub. L. 97–449, § 5(g)(5), Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2443; Pub. L. 98–216, § 2(11), Feb. 14, 1984, 98 Stat. 5; Pub. L. 99–521, § 7(a), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2994; Pub. L. 103–272, § 5(m)(21), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1377, related to authority for carriers to establish through routes, prior to the general amendment of this subtitle by Pub. L. 104–88, § 102(a). See sections 10703 and 13705 of this title.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Jan. 1, 1996, except as otherwise provided in Pub. L. 104–88, see section 2 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as a note under section 1301 of this title.