This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
7/18/2025
BNSF Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad have resolved a dispute underlying BNSF's emergency petition before the Surface Transportation Board involving trackage rights on the Salt Lake Garfield & Western Railway (SLGW) in Salt Lake City.
Earlier this month, BNSF asked the STB to immediately act to prevent UP from blocking BNSF's trackage rights over UP lines in California, Nevada and Utah. In the petition, BNSF said it wants to use the lines to move double-stack intermodal trains for interchange with the SLGW in Salt Lake City. BNSF stated it obtained the trackage rights as a condition imposed by the board on its approval of the merger of UP and Southern Pacific Rail Corp. in 1996.
On Wednesday, BNSF and UP jointly asked the STB to dismiss BNSF's request for emergency action because the two had reached an agreement on the matter.
Yesterday, STB Chairman Patrick Fuchs issued the following statement: "The STB encourages collaboration and private sector dispute resolution wherever possible. In this case, the board acted swiftly to bring the parties together, and I am pleased that the railroads resolved this matter prior to the conference and without further intervention by the board.”