New York State Department of Transportation Passenger and Freight Safety Division Railroad Regulatory Case Files

Arranged by case number (roughly chronological).

New York State's regulation of railroads dates from the mid-19th century when railroads were required to submit certain reports to the Secretary of State. By 1857 a Railroad Commission was established not only to receive reports, but to investigate railroad operations. In 1882, a Board of Railroad Commissioners was created with authority to require reports, investigate complaints, and recommend service improvements and rate adjustments.

In 1907, the First and Second Districts of the Public Service Commission (PSC) assumed responsibility for regulation in their respective geographic areas. In 1921 they were replaced by the Transit Commission with authority for railroad regulation, and a unified PSC with authority over other public utilities.

In 1943, the Transit Commission was abolished and its authority over railroads was transferred to the PSC. The PSC continued to regulate railroads until 1971, when the function was shifted to the Dept. of Transportation (DOT) by Chapter 267 of the Laws of 1970.

This series consists of the original case files documenting the Dept. of Transportation (DOT) regulation of the state's railroads from 1971 onward. DOT initially placed regulatory responsibility in its Regulation Division, although that function was later held by the Passenger and Freight Safety Division. Despite the title of the division, the cases actually concern all regulatory matters, including those with no safety implications.

The case files consist of petitions, exhibits, testimony, correspondence, briefs, plans, orders and supporting documentation involving matters affecting railroad operations in New York. The cases concern such issues as grade crossings; changes in or removal of safety devices at grade crossings; the construction of roads over or under rail tracks; proposals to close pedestrian underpasses beneath rail tracks; the closure of rail freight stations; passenger fare increases; railroad franchise operating petitions; track abandonments; and similar matters.

20054-98: This accretion consists largely of case files which were closed in the 1938-1971 period, but which were transferred by the PSC to the DOT because they concerned issues thought to be of continuing relevance. These older files fill gaps in the microfilm of pre-1971 case files of the Transit Commission from the 1930s, and of the PSC for later years.

20054-98A: This accretion consists of original closed case files documenting DOT regulation of the state's railroads during the period 1971-1997.

The Dept. of Transportation maintains the case log for this series.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.