Tennessee Public Service Commission v. Southern Railway Co.

OPINION

COOPER, Chief Justice.

On September 11, 1975, a small wooden bridge passing over tracks owned by the Southern Railway Company caught fire and was completely destroyed. The bridge, and the unimproved gravel road which it carried, had provided Mrs. Sally Young with access to her home. On January 20, 1976, the Tennessee Public Service Commission issued an order, requiring the Southern Railway Company to appear and show cause why it should not be required to rebuild the bridge. The order was issued under the authority of T.C.A. § 65-331, which in pertinent part provides as follows:

The…