Union Pacific Railroad v. Santa Fe Pacific Pipelines, Inc.

Opinion

KUSSMAN, J. *

INTRODUCTION

This is the latest of multiple appeals in a case in which courts have been called upon to determine the amount of rent a pipeline company must pay to a railroad for the use of land underneath its rights-of-way, most of which were initially granted to it by the federal government beginning in the mid-19th century in order to build and operate transcontinental railroads. The rent is to be determined by the terms of a settlement agreement entered into in 1994 arising out of previous litigation between the parties — former sister companies that separated and have…