Legal Opinion
City of Seattle v. Burlington Northern Railroad
Washington Supreme Court
Decided March 7, 2002No. 70884-3PublishedCited by 41 opinions
1Opinion of the CourtIreland, J.
This court granted review of a Court of Appeals’ decision reversing a Seattle Municipal Court finding that Burlington Northern Railroad Company violated Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) ordinances regulating railroad switching and blocking on city streets. The Court of Appeals’ decision is affirmed because the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act of 1995 (ICCTA) and the Federal Rail Safety Act of 1970 (FRSA) unambiguously express a clear congressional intent to regulate railroad operations as a matter of federal law. Both federal acts preempt the City’s railroad switching and blocking…
2Cases cited12 opinions
- CSX Transportation, Inc. v. EasterwoodSupreme Court of the United States · 1993
- Burlington Northern Railroad v. Oklahoma Tax CommissionSupreme Court of the United States · 1987
- Rettkowski v. Department of EcologyWashington Supreme Court · 1996
- City of Auburn v. United States GovernmentCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 1998
- CSX Transportation, Inc. v. Georgia Public Service CommissionDistrict Court, N.D. Georgia · 1996
7 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by41 opinions
- Owen v. Burlington Northern and Santa Fe RR Co.Washington Supreme Court · 2005
- Owen v. Burlington Northern Santa Fe RailroadWashington Supreme Court · 2005
- HomeStreet, Inc. v. STATE, DEPT. OF REVENUEWashington Supreme Court · 2009
- HomeStreet, Inc. v. Department of RevenueWashington Supreme Court · 2009
- Krentz v. Consolidated Rail Corp.Supreme Court of Pennsylvania · 2006
36 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.