Rakaanga (New Zealand). Rarotonga (Cook Islands) (New Zealand). Rodrigues (Mauritius and dependencies). Rota, Mariana Islands (U.S. Trust Terr. See Sahara, Spanish (Spanish West Africa). Saint Martin (French part) (Guadeloupe). Saint Vincent (Windward Islands). Samoa, Western (British) (Western Samoa). San Marino (Republic of) (Italy). Sark (Channel Islands) (Great Britain). Sekia el Hamra (Spanish Sahara). Selangor (Malaysia). Sharja (Trucial States). Shikoku (Japan). Siam (Thailand). Sikkim (India). Singapore (Malaysia). Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles). only) (New Guinea Mandated Territory). Somalia (Somali Republic). Somaliland (Somali Republic or French Terr. of Afars and Issas). Soudan (French) (Mali). Soudanese Republic (Mali). South Australia (Australia). South Georgia (Falkland Islands). South-West Africa (South Africa). Spanish West Africa (Ifni Territory (Morocco) and Spanish Sahara). Spitzbergen (Norway). Suwarrow Islands (New Zealand). Swain's Island, American Samoa (U.S. Poss. See Pt. 112 of this chapter). Swant Islands (U.S. Poss, See Pt. 112 of this chapter). Symi (Greece). Tahaa (French Polynesia). Thursday Island (Australia). Timor (Netherlands) (Indonesia). Togoland (French), (Togo). Tokelau (Union) Group (Western Samoa, British). Tongareva (New Zealand). Tori Shima (Ryukyu Islands). Trengganu (Malaysia). Truk, Caroline Islands (U.S. Trust Terr. See Tutuila Island, American Samoa (U.S. Poss. Umm Said (Qatar). Union Group (Western Samoa, British). Virgin Islands (British) (Leeward Islands). Virgin Islands, U.S. (See P.O. Dir. and Pt. 112 of this chapter.) Volta Republic (Upper Volta). Wake Island (U.S. Poss. See P.O. Dir. and Pt. 112 of this chapter). Wales (Great Britain and Northern Ireland). Wallis Islands (New Caledonia). Washington Island (Gilbert and Ellice Islands Wellesley, Province (Malaysia). West New Guinea (Indonesia). Yap, Caroline Islands (U.S. Trust Terr. See P.O. Dir. and Pt. 112 of this chapter). Zafarani Islands (Spain). Zanzibar (Tanzania). SUBCHAPTER D-[RESERVED] SUBCHAPTER E-TRANSPORTATION OF THE MAILS (a) Space rules. Instructions and regulations of the Post Office Department implement service requirements applicable to the transportation of mail by railroad as prescribed by statute and by the Comprehensive Plan of the Postmaster General, and implementing rates and methods of compensation prescribed by the Interstate Commerce Commission by orders of December 30, 1957, June 23, 1958 (as amended August 4, 1958), and November 17, 1960. (b) Space-used system. A transportation method under which storage mail is handled, transported and claims submitted on the basis of the volume of mail moved. (c) Brief. Official notice by the Department to a railroad company of a service failure. Such a notice may become the basis of a fine. (d) Closed pouch trains. The term "closed pouch" or the symbol "CP" referred to in this part is used to identify trains designated to carry mail, but which do not have any RPO or apartment RPO authorization. (e) Department. This refers to the Post Office Department. (f) Destination cars. A destination storage car is used exclusively for mail, and moves intact over the entire run of the car from origin (point of loading) to destination (point of complete unloading). This is an excerpt from an applicable order of the Interstate Commerce Commission. For the purpose of brevity, these excerpts are identified elsewhere in this part as "(ICC)". (1) (g) Destination relay cars and relay points (1) Destination relay car. A destination relay storage car is used exclusively for mail and moves from origin (point of loading) to destination (point of complete unloading), subject to mail being loaded or unloaded between origin and destination only at relay points. (ICC) (ii) A destination relay car is a car which is loaded at the point of origin to at least 50 percent of its inside length with mail for the point of final destination of the car. (ICC) (2) Relay points. (i) Any point where a destination relay storage car is relayed from one railroad to another railroad, or from one train to another train. (ii) The final destination and relay points of these cars shall be determined at the point of origin. (ICC) (h) Working cars. A storage car will be classed as a working car when it is operated as: (1) An exclusive mail car making local exchanges of mail, (2) A mixed traffic car containing mail, baggage, express, etc., making local exchanges of mail, (3) A local service car with or without a train baggageman, mail piler, or company rider, (4) A set-out or set-in car used in lieu of loading mail into or unloading mail out of a working car or cars at an intermediate point. (i) Railroad or railway. Railway common carriers; does not refer to urban and interurban electric railway common carriers. (j) RPO. RPO is the abbreviation for a railway post office. It is the only type of service to be regularly authorized by formal orders issued by the Post Office Department. (k) Train date. The date a train is due to leave the initial point of the RPO of CP designation shall be used as the date for all service performed in the train. Each RPO division shall be considered separately in cases where the RPO line is divided into East, Middle and West, or North and South Divisions. [27 FR. 2339, Mar. 13, 1962, as amended at 28 F.R. 3346, Apr. 5, 1963] § 511.12 General conditions of service. (a) Conditions and class of service(1) Transportation of mail. All railway common carriers engaged in the transportation of United States mail shall transport such mail in the manner, under the conditions, and with the service prescribed by the Post Office Department and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of the Railway Mail Pay Act of 1916, as amended. This is an excerpt from the Comprehensive Plan of the Postmaster General for the transporta tion of United States Mail by certain railroads. For the purpose of brevity, these excerpts will be identified as "(Comprehensive Plan)". (2) Transportation of postal personnel. Railroad companies are required to transport without extra charge the persons in charge of the mails and the agents and officers of the Post Office Department * under the conditions prescribed by law and regulations pursuant thereto. (Comprehensive Plan.) (3) Class of service. The class, frequency, and distance of service to be authorized or requested shall be determined in accordance with the needs of the Postal Service and under such rules and regulations or instructions as shall be prescribed by the Postmaster General. (Comprehensive Plan.) (b) Service to be performed in accordance with space rules with certain exceptions-(1) Responsibility. Officials of the Postal Service are responsible for the transportation of mail by railroad in accordance with the space rules and regulations. (2) Deviations. Deviations from the space rules and regulations must be in writing and must be approved by the Bureau of Transportation and International Services. (3) Competitive agreements. The Department may conclude agreements with a railroad company effecting economies such as mileage equalization, competitive rates, or waiver of terminal charges. (4) Equalization agreements. When competing railroad lines are available for the dispatch of mail to the same destination, the Department may, for service reasons, allow the mail to remain on the longer route if the railroad company agrees to claim only the mileage of the shorter route over which the mail could be carried. Consideration must also be given to rate differentials as between eastern and western or southern. In these cases, an equalization agreement must be executed between the railroad company operating the longer route and the Department. (5) Highway service in lieu of rail. Agreements may be made whereby railroad companies will provide mail service over highways in lieu of service by train. Such railroad-operated highway service may be authorized to provide service to post offices on or adjacent to the rail line on which the railroad mail service has been superseded. Compensation will not be in excess of linehaul rates and terminal charges on the basis of the railroad track mileage of record. All such cases must be reported to the Bureau of Transportation and International Services, so that a proper record may be made and approval given. Where a company has completely abandoned all service, both freight and passenger, over all or a segment of its trackage, the Bureau of Transportation and International Services will not approve continued performance of mail service over such segment in motor vehicles at railroad space rates. Service must be converted to contract highway service. Transportation division directors shall continually review all bus and truck service operated "in lieu of rail service." They shall report promptly any cases where all train service has been discontinued and tracks abandoned, with appropriate recommendations. NOTE: For pooling purposes, the footage furnished in trucks shall be determined in accordance with the established formula whereby 61.25 cubic feet of truck space will be considered equal to one linear foot of rail mail storage space. (6) Approval. All agreements shall be in writing and shall be submitted through the director, transportation division, to the Bureau of Transportation and International Services for approval. (c) Service to be provided-(1) Passenger train. Mail shall be carried upon such trains as the Post Office Department shall designate from time to time in the interest of the Postal Service, and the character of trains carrying the mail shall be that of the passenger train operating between passenger or mail handling facilities. When required by the interest of the Postal Service, the Department may provide for the movement of mail between passenger or special mail handling facilities in other than passenger trains. (Comprehensive Plan.) (2) Freight service. Railroad companies may be permitted to transport mail in freight trains and use supplemental mail facilities if advantageous to the Postal Service, provided prior approval of the Bureau of Transportation and International Services has been ob tained. This section applies to prearranged handlings. It does not apply to emergency conditions such as wrecks, washouts, etc., which require immediate local action. (3) Application for relief from carrying mail-(i) Authority. Any railway common carrier desiring to be relieved of the transportation of the mail may make application to the Post Office Department accordingly, and consideration will be given to the granting of its request in whole or in part as the needs of the Postal Service will permit. (Comprehensive Plan.) (ii) Procedure. If any field official of the Postal Service receives a direct application from any railroad company for relief from handling mail, the application shall be forwarded through channels to the Bureau of Transportation and International Services and to the Bureau of Operations, with proper recommendations. The director, transportation division, concerned will be informed of the departmental decision, and will be specifically advised of any further action he may have to take. (d) Operation according to published schedules-(1) Schedules. The transit time of trains upon which mail is transported shall be that which is maintained by the carriers for their general transportation business in connection with their published schedules. (Comprehensive Plan.) (2) Irregularities. If any train used for the transportation of mail consistently fails to maintain its published schedule on its own line, the director, transportation division, concerned shall bring this matter to the attention of the operating railroad. If the unsatisfactory condition is not corrected, action shall be taken in accordance with paragraph of this section. (e) Mail to be carried only on designated trains. A railroad must not carry mail on a train that has not been designated for the transportation of mail. In emergencies, local representatives of the Postal Service, or postmasters who have been authorized to do so by the director, transportation division, may request a railroad company to provide necessary space on any train. The railroad must be informed of the issuance of such authority, by the director, transportation division, concerned. Transportation division directors shall report to the Bureau of Transportation and International Services any violation by any railroad company of the preceding rule that mail shall not be carried until requested by the Department. The director, transportation division, will be advised if any further action is necessary. (f) Changes in service-(1) Notification of changes. Postmasters shall promptly notify the director, transportation division, and the proper official of a railroad of any changes in service or routing of mail, including pouch changes, which affect the handling of mail. Changes affecting consist or operation of trains will be referred to the director, transportation division, for approval and prompt notification of the proper official of the railroad. (2) Establishment, extension or discontinuance of service-(i) Recommendations for changes. Transportation division directors shall make recommendations for establishment, discontinuance, or extension of railroad mail service to the Bureau of Transportation and International Services. The report must show the need for the service, the schedule of trains involved, the amount of mail to be carried, the estimated costs (present and proposed), and must list all post offices directly involved, showing their class and their present and proposed mail supplies. (ii) Discontinuance procedures. If a proposed discontinuance of mail service (entire or partial diversion to highway or to another railroad) will reduce a railroad's revenues, a statement shall be secured from the railroad company as to the effect the loss of mail revenues will have on train operation. (iii) Service changes by railroad. When a railroad plans withdrawal or curtailment of service it operates, which will in turn require the Post Office Department to consider substitute service, the railroad company will give reasonable advance notice of the changes to the director, transportation division. At that time, the railroad company will state whether or not it is interested in continuing to perform the mail transportation service. (g) Empty equipment shipments. Transportation division directors shall control intraregional shipments of empty mail bags so that shipments shall be made in the most economical manner. Special arrangements for movement of empty equipment must be approved by the regional postal official charged with supervision over empty equipment and by the Bureau of Transportation and International Services. (h) Withholding mail from train. Transportation division directors may withhold the dispatch of catalog, circular, parcel post, and ordinary paper mail, in the order named, if necessary and advisable to prevent delay to important trains or to effect economy in transportation. Such mail must be forwarded in other available trains in the most advan. tageous manner and with the least possible delay. (i) Irregularities-(1) RPO car maintenance. The director, transportation division, may fine a railroad in an amount not in excess of the compensation due for the service authorized, for failure to furnish an RPO car with sanitary drinking water, adequate toilet facilities, or adequate heat and light, or for failure to regularly and thoroughly clean the car, provided the railroad has been given the opportunity to correct the condition. To provide such opportunity, Form 5367, Notice of Unsatisfactory Condition of Postal Car or HPO Vehicle, shall be prepared and distributed in accordance with instructions on the forms. Note that #1 copy is presented, immediately, to a responsible representative of the railroad carrier. (2) Service failures. The director, transportation division, may impose fines on railroad companies for each of the following delinquencies: (i) Inadequate protection of mail. Allowing the mail, or any part of it, to become wet, lost, injured, or destroyed, or conveying or keeping the mail in a place or manner that exposes it to depredation, loss, or injury. (ii) Refusal to transport mail. Refusing, after demand, to transport mail by any suitable car, boat, or other conveyance the railroad operates or is concerned in operating on a mail route, when space is available. (iii) Ignoring priority of mail. Leaving or putting aside the mail, or any part of it, for the accommodation of passengers, baggage, express, or other matter, except human remains. (iv) Failure to observe schedules. Habitual failure to observe schedules on its own line. (v) Leaving mail. Leaving mail that arrives at a station within a reasonable time before the departure of the train for which it is intended. |