Surface Transportation Board

Surface Transportation Board

Seal of the Surface Transportation Board
Board overview
Formed	January 1, 1996
Preceding Board	Interstate Commerce Commission
Jurisdiction	United States Government
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Board executive	Robert E. Primus, Chairman
Parent department	Independent agency
Key document	Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act
Website	www.stb.gov

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) of the United States is an independent federal agency that serves as an adjudicatory board. The board was created in 1996 following the abolition of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) and absorbed regulatory powers relevant to the railroad industry previously under the ICC's purview.^[1]

The STB has broad economic regulatory oversight of railroads in the United States, including matters related to the construction, acquisition, abandonment of rail lines, railbanking, carrier mergers, and interchange of traffic between carriers and some passenger rail matters.

The board also has jurisdiction over the "intercity bus industry, non-energy pipelines, household goods carriers’ tariffs, and rate regulation of non-contiguous domestic water transportation".^[2]

The board comprises five members nominated by the President, each subject to Senate confirmation. Since 2024, Democrat Robert E. Primus has served as chair of the STB.