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Last week, Burlington Northern Santa Fe and AEP Texas North Co. resolved most of the issues contained in a rate-complaint case, according to the Surface Transportation Board.

In documents filed with the board several years ago, AEP Texas North officials alleged that BNSF's rates to move coal from the Powder River Basin to the utility's Oklaunion, Texas, generating station were unreasonably high and that the Class I possessed market dominance over the traffic. In August, STB assigned a mediator to the case — the first time the board used mediation in a rate dispute since it adopted expedited procedures to resolve rate cases in early 2003.

"Once again, the board's policy of having litigants in rate cases talk to one another about issues in their case has led to the resolution of a number of issues and matters," said STB Chairman Roger Nober in a prepared statement. "The parties have saved themselves and the board both time and expense."