---
type: "LegalText"
title: "49 U.S.C. § 10741"
description: "Prohibitions against discrimination by rail carriers"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 49
title_name: "TRANSPORTATION"
chapter_number: "107"
chapter_name: "RATES"
section: "10741"
citation: "49 U.S.C. § 10741"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc49@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t49/s10741"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-49/usc49.xml"
source_hash: "50f94b211b67e312c0ca2948e63bf978765deb469d0413625a1a5bf4736be114"
raw_snapshot_hash: "0786acdd244d8f42c5a8e8ed1ec2a8dcb47dd0e02a286752710a20745702a4fb"
text_hash: "0f9c04b97697d7ff91a2051a047958c46ebb9e4d0b30e196ce8e96f1fd5bcb66"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 49 U.S.C. § 10741 - Prohibitions against discrimination by rail carriers

## Text

(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.

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

## Notes

Editorial Notes

Prior ProvisionsA prior section 10741, Pub. L. 95–473, Oct. 17, 1978, 92 Stat. 1390; Pub. L. 96–296, § 33(d), July 1, 1980, 94 Stat. 825; Pub. L. 96–448, title II, § 212, Oct. 14, 1980, 94 Stat. 1912; Pub. L. 99–521, § 7(h), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2995, related to prohibitions against discrimination by common carriers, prior to the general amendment of this subtitle by Pub. L. 104–88, § 102(a). See sections 10741 and 15505 of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective DateSection effective Jan. 1, 1996, except as otherwise provided in Pub. L. 104–88, see section 2 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as a note under section 1301 of this title.