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7/10/2025
BNSF Railway Co. is asking the Surface Transportation Board to take "immediate emergency action" to prevent Union Pacific Railroad from blocking BNSF's trackage rights over UP lines in California, Nevada and Utah.
In a petition filed July 7, BNSF said it wants to use the lines to move double-stack intermodal trains for interchange with the Salt Lake Garfield & Western Railway (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.
"UP and BNSF compete vigorously for intermodal rail movements to/from the West Coast," BNSF's filing states. "In 2024-2025, two intermodal customers moved a significant portfolio of business from UP to BNSF. To serve this business, BNSF must use its trackage rights over UP’s lines obtained under the UP/SP merger conditions — trackage rights that UP has consistently honored since the merger occurred nearly 30 years ago."
UP indicated that it would not allow BNSF to use the tracks, according to the BNSF filing, which can be downloaded here.