RICHLAND, Wash. - BNSF Railway has sued short line Tri-City & Olympia, saying the short line is blocking BNSF trains from reaching some track in Richland, the Tri-City Herald has reported. The dispute stems from a disagreement over how TC&O is compensated for serving some BNSF customers.
The track TC&O operates in Richland was BNSF-served until 2000, when the Class I hired the short line to provide service. BNSF claims in that agreement that it retained the right to serve customers directly. Recently, BNSF modified its payment arrangement with TC&O in a way the short line objected to. In response, TC&O began retroactively billing BNSF customers directly, a move BNSF says results in customers being double-billed.
BNSF has asked the U.S. District Court in Richland to issue an injunction ordering that BNSF trains be allowed to serve customers on the line.
