WASHINGTON – The U.S. Surface Transportation Board has denied Metra’s request for a declaratory order and proceeding in its ongoing dispute with Union Pacific over Chicago area commuter operations. The decision follows a U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ruling to keep a UP lawsuit against Metra, noting that the court does have jurisdiction over such contract matters. Metra sought to dismiss that case and have the matter settled by the STB.
Metra had previously asked the Surface Transportation Board to intervene, and wanted the case dismissed so the matter would be left in the STB’s hands. The court’s order recognizes the STB’s “significant industry knowledge” and invites it to file a brief on the merits of the case. Metra and UP have been unable to negotiate a contract for continued service on the UP West, Northwest, and North lines, leading to an increasingly contentious dispute that saw UP file suit late last year.
