(The Associated Press circulated the following article on February 5.)
ABERDEEN, S.D. — An April 26 trial date has been set in a dispute between the South Dakota Railroad Authority and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad over use of a key rail interchange at Aberdeen.
The dispute started in 2003 when the rail authority and the Dakota, Missouri Valley and Western Railroad of Bismarck, N.D., sued the Burlington Northern in state court to try to force the giant rail company to open the interchange to shipments being towed by locomotives from other railroads.
The state believes the smaller rail firm should be allowed to use the line.