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49 USC § 10741 - Prohibitions against discrimination by rail carriers

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t49/s10741"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "49 USC § 10741 - Prohibitions against discrimination by rail carriers"
title_number: 49
title_name: "TRANSPORTATION"
section_number: "10741"
section_name: "Prohibitions against discrimination by rail carriers"
chapter_number: 107
chapter_name: "RATES"
subchapter_number: "III"
subchapter_name: "LIMITATIONS"
part_number: "A"
part_name: "RAIL"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 104–88, title I, § 102(a), Dec. 29, 1995, 109 Stat. 819.)"
---

# § 10741. Prohibitions against discrimination by rail carriers

**(a)**

**(1)** A rail carrier providing transportation or service subject to the jurisdiction of the Board under this part may not subject a person, place, port, or type of traffic to unreasonable discrimination.

**(2)** For purposes of this section, a rail carrier engages in unreasonable discrimination when it charges or receives from a person a different compensation for a service rendered, or to be rendered, in transportation the rail carrier may perform under this part than it charges or receives from another person for performing a like and contemporaneous service in the transportation of a like kind of traffic under substantially similar circumstances.

**(b)** This section shall not apply to—

**(1)** contracts described in section 10709 of this title;

**(2)** rail rates applicable to different routes; or

**(3)** discrimination against the traffic of another carrier providing transportation by any mode.

**(c)** Differences between rates, classifications, rules, and practices of rail carriers do not constitute a violation of this section if such differences result from different services provided by rail carriers.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 104–88, title I, § 102(a), Dec. 29, 1995, 109 Stat. 819.)

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 10741, , , ; , , ; , , ; , , , related to prohibitions against discrimination by common carriers, prior to the general amendment of this subtitle by . See sections 10741 and 15505 of this title.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective , except as otherwise provided in , see , set out as a note under .