(The Associated Press distributed the following article on February 1.)
BURLINGTON, Iowa — City officials in Burlington say it’s difficult to estimate how much it would cost to take Burlington Northern Santa Fe to court.
Burlington Northern eliminated 258 local jobs last year and is in the process of moving 100 more jobs to its shops in Topeka, Kansas. That leaves only 44 local jobs behind.
But city officials say a 146-year-old agreement the railroad made with the city may prevent the company from leaving town.
City Attorney Scott Power said last week that he can’t answer how much a legal battle with Burlington Northern would cost the city. He says the case could well go as far as the U-S Supreme Court.
The 1858 agreement between the city and the railroad stipulated that the railroad would be able to use city-owned property on the riverfront for its rails and sidings — as long as it kept its local shops operational.