United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Passenger Corp. v. Passengers Assn., 414 U.S. 453 (1974)

National Railroad Passenger Corp. v.

National Association of Railroad Passengers

No. 72-1289

Argued November 12, 1973

Decided January 9, 1974

414 U.S. 453

Syllabus

Respondent brought this action to enjoin discontinuance of certain passenger trains on the ground that such discontinuance was prohibited by the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 (Amtrak Act). The District Court dismissed the action on the ground that respondent lacked standing under § 307(a) of the Amtrak Act, which confers jurisdiction on federal district courts to grant equitable relief on petition of the Attorney General or, in a case involving a labor agreement, on petition of any affected employee, including authorized employee representatives, if Amtrak or any railroad acts inconsistently with the Act or fails to discharge its responsibilities thereunder. The Court of Appeals reversed, holding that respondent did have standing, and that § 307(a) does not otherwise bar such a suit by an allegedly aggrieved private party.

Held: Section 307(a), in light of its express language, and the legislative history of that provision and of the Act as a whole, provides the exclusive remedies for breaches of any duties or obligations imposed by the Act, and no additional private cause of action to enforce compliance with the Act can properly be inferred. Pp. 414 U. S. 455-465.

154 U.S.App.D.C. 214, 475 F.2d 325, reversed and remanded.

STEWART, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which BURGER, C.J., and WHITE, MARSHALL, BLACKMUN, and REHNQUIST, JJ., joined. BRENNAN, J., filed an opinion concurring in the result, post, p. 414 U. S. 465. DOUGLAS, J., filed a dissenting opinion, post, p. 414 U. S. 466. POWELL, J., took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.

Page 414 U. S. 454