Western Railroad Discussion > Latest Tenn. Pass info

Federal regulators have ruled in favor of UP not being forced to sell TP.
https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2020/03/18-regulators-toss-out-effort-to-force-up-to-sell-tennessee-pass-line

Read the thing carefully, all it says is that as filed the sale cannot be forced, left open the chane to refile.

Out 

I did and in this  filing istance they are not forced to sell.

That is TOO bad.  UP (utterly pathetic) should be forced to sell the line.  I believe any railroad should be forced to sell a rail line rather than see it sit idle or become scrap.  

Paywall?

I think the state of CO  can get the UP to play ball, if they want to.  I dont think the feds can stop eminant domain proceedings. 

LMK if i am wrong

Once again, as FB groups make my head hurt these days - google read the merger docket and how, who and what lays claim for TP and who gets to go first.

Despite what has happened years since the approval, there are some key takeaways on how and why things work the way they do.

TP pass stuff comes up so often here since 1997 that it should have its own announcement thread of facts and a sub thread of all the rumors

Posted from iPhone

They own it, its theirs and if they don't want to sell and keep paying taxes on the property, that's fine

MEKoch Wrote:
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> That is TOO bad.  UP (utterly pathetic) should be
> forced to sell the line.  I believe any railroad
> should be forced to sell a rail line rather than
> see it sit idle or become scrap.  

So you favor forcing a company to sell it's property against their will so that another company can profit from it?

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MEKoch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > That is TOO bad.  UP (utterly pathetic) should
> be
> > forced to sell the line.  I believe any
> railroad
> > should be forced to sell a rail line rather
> than
> > see it sit idle or become scrap.  
>
> So you favor forcing a company to sell it's
> property against their will so that another
> company can profit from it?

It appears, on the surface of things, that the UP doesnt want to sell, just to protect their monopoly.     If this contrary to the interests of the state of CO, or interstate commerce, , the govt can step in.    Use it, or lose it.

PHall Wrote:

> So you favor forcing a company to sell it's
> property against their will so that another
> company can profit from it?

Railroads are a different case. They serve the public interest, and not merely locally. Steven Soloviev would export grain to other parts of the world. TP was an important highway of commerce. We are not talking Best Buy vs. Frye's Electronics.

This is the old SP branch line story, it wasn't worth running until somebody wanted it and then it was real expensive!

Out 

> So you favor forcing a company to sell it's
> property against their will so that another
> company can profit from it?

Yes, if it is in the public good.

When the scrap value of the asset exceeds the offering price, the UP should not bother to sell.  
SP did not do what is sometimes claimed,    Between 1980 and 1996 it never refused reasonable offers to sell assets that made economic sense.
If the SP did not need assets or the assets were not contributing to the bottom line..  However more than once I personally told wannabes who wanted what amounted to a charity deduction to go away and quit waiting my time.  Ed E more than once..

Rail lines are public assets.  It is the common good that will come forth from the sale.   

They are common carrier, with certain regulatory standards.

But the tracks in most cases are private property.

MEKoch Wrote:
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> Rail lines are public assets.

WHAT???????

  It is the common
> good that will come forth from the sale.   

MEKoch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rail lines are public assets.  It is the common
> good that will come forth from the sale.   

Then convince the FEDERAL REGULATORY BODY responsible for this that it in the best interest of the common good to force a sale.  Thus far, the petitioners have failed to make that case.  That's the whole issue here.  I'm sure they will keep trying (and hope they do), but they haven't made their case yet.

Or are you wanting to blow up all the current rules and regulations, consequences be damned, and re-write everything into some sort of choo choo lovers utopia? 

This a very good quick summary of the issues.  
-------------------------------------------------------
> MEKoch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Rail lines are public assets.  It is the
> common
> > good that will come forth from the sale.   
>
> Then convince the FEDERAL REGULATORY BODY
> responsible for this that it in the best interest
> of the common good to force a sale.  Thus far,
> the petitioners have failed to make that case. 
> That's the whole issue here.  I'm sure they will
> keep trying (and hope they do), but they haven't
> made their case yet.
>
> Or are you wanting to blow up all the current
> rules and regulations, consequences be damned, and
> re-write everything into some sort of choo choo
> lovers utopia?