Roseburg Forest Products, Timber Products Company and Suburban Propane and the Yreka Western Railroad finally received an answer from the Surface Transportation Board this afternoon.
The companies along the West Texas and Lubbock Railroad filed for an emergency service order that would let them operate the Southern portion of the Siskiyou rail line.
The filing, if approved would let West Texas move freight from Weed, California, all the way into Dillard, Oregon and back.
Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad owns the tracks from Dillard to Ashland, Oregon then leases the track from Union Pacific Railroad from Ashland, Oregon to Weed, California. They objected to the original filing saying that it’s a railroad rate dispute not a service disruption issue.
All of the parties agreed in September to move their objections to private talks and negotiate an operating agreement. The talks broke down quickly and action was forwarded back to the STB to decide.
Today an answer came out of Washington, D.C. that was unexpected from the shippers view. The STB ruled the case is still active and open and more information needs to be filed quickly.
All parties involved have been asked to send more information to prove service was disrupted from CORP’s operation last year to current date.
The STB says after they receive the additional information, they will then rule on the case.