PUBLIC LAW 96-448—OCT. 14, 1980
94 STAT. 1923
the carrier, is likely to unduly impair a carrier's ability to earn an adequate rate of return. "(2)(A) The Commission may, after an investigation on the basis of a protest under this subsection, prescribe a lesser surcharge or a different division of the joint rate. The Commission shall grant the surcharging or canceling carrier revenues not less than 110 percent of its variable cost of the movement involved, unless it determines that the public interest requires a lesser revenue to variable cost ratio to preserve service on the route involved. Any action by the Commission based on a protest under this subsection shall be taken within 30 days after the date such protest is filed. (B) If the Commission prescribes a different division of a joint rate under this paragraph, the Commission shall, upon petition of the surcharging or canceling carrier or the protesting class III rail carrier, reopen the proceeding in which such division WEIS prescribed to reconsider whether such prescribed division is reasonable. If, on the basis of such reconsideration, the Commission determines that such division is not reasonable, it shall prescribe a new, reasonable division of the joint rate to which the surcharge or cancellation applied. (k)(l) Upon the complaint of a class III rail carrier which origi- Rail carrier nates or terminates traffic subject to the application of a surcharge investigation. f"Swir under subsection (a) of this section or the cancellation of the application of a joint rate under subsection (c) of this section that such surcharge or cancellation will result in differences or greater differences in rates, including any surcharges, for the traffic to which the surcharge or cancellation applies over different routes in which the surcharging or canceling carrier participates— "(A) from a single origin point to destination points within a 75 mile direct radius from the destination point on such class III rail carrier; or "(B) to a single destination point from origin points within a 75 mile direct radius from the origin point on such class III rail carrier, the Commission shall investigate such complaint and shall, within 30 days after the date such complaint is filed, take such actions, including rescinding surcharges or cancellations or prescribing new joint rates or surcharges, as it determines are required to eliminate such differences in rates, unless it finds that such actions are not warranted by the public interest in ensuring effective competition among rail carriers or in the preservation of rail service on the route involved. "(2) No action taken by the Commission under this subsection shall require a carrier to provide service over any route under a rate which provides a revenue to variable cost ratio over such route less than that provided under the joint rate to which the surcharge or cancellation was applied or less than 110 percent, whichever is greater, unless the Commission determines that the public interest in ensuring effective competition among rail carriers or in preserving service over such route warrants requiring the surcharging or canceling carrier to provide service at a lesser revenue to variable cost ratio. "(3) Notwithstanding subsection (m)(1) of this section, if, in a proceeding under this subsection or under subsection (i) or (j) of this section, the Commission considers whether to require the revenues of a carrier applying a surcharge under subsection (a) of this section or canceling the application of a joint rate under subsection (c) of this section to be less than 110 percent of its variable costs (as calculated using the Commission's Rail Form A cost finding methodology), such
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