WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — BNSF Railway is challenging a Kansas law that limits how long trains can block intersections.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the Kansas Court of Appeals heard arguments Thursday in the case involving a lengthy blockage of two Chase County railroad crossings in December 2016. The Texas-based railway company’s court challenge could have ramifications for railroad crossings throughout Kansas.
The law in question says railroads can only block a crossing for 10 minutes.
The Chase County Sheriff’s Department cited BNSF, alleging the company parked a train on a siding for four hours and blocked the only crossings that provide access to several farms.
BNSF denies the length of the blockage. The company also says the state doesn’t have a right to regulate how long a train can block a crossing.
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Information from: The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, http://www.kansas.com