Editing Surface Transportation Board (section)

== History ==
The STB was established on January 1, 1996 to assume some of the regulatory functions that had been administered by the [[Interstate Commerce Commission]] when the ICC was abolished.<ref name=":1" /> Other ICC regulatory functions were either eliminated or transferred to the [[Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration]] or the [[Bureau of Transportation Statistics]] within the [[United States Department of Transportation|Department of Transportation]].

Since its founding, various legislation pertaining to the STB's functions has been introduced in Congress. In 2015, the Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act was passed, which expanded the Board from three to five members.<ref>{{cite web |title=Performance and Accountability, FY 2016 |url=https://www.stb.gov/stb/docs/PAR/STBFY2016PAR.pdf |access-date=16 January 2018 |website=STB.gov |publisher=Surface Transportation Board}}</ref> The passage of the legislation transformed the STB, which had been "administratively aligned" with the Department of Transportation while still decisionally independent, into an entirely [[Independent agencies of the United States government|independent federal agency]]. 

In response to concerns regarding increasing [[Market concentration|corporate concentration]] in the rail industry, the STB has considered proposals to encourage rail competition. In 2016, a proposal was made to establish "reciprocal switching rules" to require railroads to create arrangements where shippers could access competing carriers instead of other options. In 2022, Chairman Oberman supported reciprocal switching rules, arguing they would address shippers' complaints and encourage industry competition.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zimmerman |first=Sarah |date=2022-03-30 |title=STB poised to decide reciprocal switching rules as shippers, railroads remain at odds |url=https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/reciprocal-switching-stb-oberman/620842/ |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=Supply Chain Dive |language=en-US}}</ref>