Railroad sues Oklahoma on law to limit blocked crossings

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – A lawsuit by a Texas-based railroad seeks to overturn an Oklahoma law prohibiting trains from blocking street intersections for more than 10 minutes, with some exceptions that include letting oncoming trains pass.
The Oklahoman first reported the federal lawsuit filed on Thursday in Oklahoma City by BNSF Railway Co. of Fort Worth. The lawsuit names the Oklahoma Corporation Commission as well as the cities of Edmond and Davis.
Officials with the Commission and the cities declined comment on Friday, citing the pending litigation. In July, Edmond police twice and Davis police once ticketed BNSF for blocking intersections.
The lawsuit seeks preliminary and permanent injunctions to prohibit enforcement of the Oklahoma law passed this year and says that U.S. law governing rail carriers supersedes any state law.