The case is interesting, because of the alleged rate "gouging" aspect. That is more blatant, and subject to review

Failure to provide adequate service levels has had a more pernicious effect on smaller carload shippers, or those with few competitive choices. Even places potentially capable of relatively large car volumes, like Port Hueneme, have seen significant port traffic lost, because the "monopoly" rail service provider, provides poor service levels, and has no effective competition..

The STB will definitely open a "can of worms" if they side with, or allow, SMART to determine the rules that apply to interstate commerce.

I know that some idiots who post on this site will, of course, like to see that NWP would be hurt by such a ruling, since they hate trains. But, I kind of like the job they've done with the NWP. So, if these folks at SMART can ever quit screwing around with arbitrary and capricious attempts to locally regulate interstate commerce, and get their act together and get the trains, that they're supposed to be building, running, then I can't wait to ride this "evil" train.......