Government

What does the do?

Updates published annually

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) is an independent federal agency responsible for the economic regulation of primarily freight rail. The Board's functions include overseeing railroad issues and rail resctructuring deals. It was established in 1996.

In FY 2024,

$43.7M

was spent by the Surface Transportation Board
In FY 2024,

<0.1%

of federal spending was by the Surface Transportation Board

How much does the Surface Transportation Board spend?

The Surface Transportation Board spent $43.7 million in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.00064% of the $6.78 trillion in overall federal spending. The department ranked 83rd among federal agencies in total spending.

The Surface Transportation Board accounted for <0.1% of all federal spending in FY 2024.

Share of STB net spending compared to the top ten highest spending agencies in FY 2024

Federal spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Surface Transportation Board’s federal spending has increased from $39.5 million in 2015 to $43.7 million in 2024.

The Surface Transportation Board’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 2015.

Yearly federal net spending by STB, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 2015–2024

Since 2015, Surface Transportation Board's spending has increased 10.7%, while overall spending has increased 37.6%.
The department’s spending grew less than overall spending, which means that the department’s share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, STB accounted for 0.00064% of all federal spending. That’s 0.00016 percentage points lower than 2015.
Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Surface Transportation Board's share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 2015.

Percentage of federal budget dedicated to STB, FYs 2015–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2024, all of the Surface Transportation Board's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net STB spending.

How did the Surface Transportation Board spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to STB, FY 2024

Who leads the Surface Transportation Board?

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has five members, who are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate for five-year terms. The board is led by a chairperson.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

  • Office of Personnel Management

    FedScope

  • Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury

    Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement

    Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury logo