Missouri Pacific Railroad v. Railroad Commission

398 S.W.2d 339, 1966 Tex. App. LEXIS 2711
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 5, 1966
DocketNo. 11353
StatusPublished

This text of 398 S.W.2d 339 (Missouri Pacific Railroad v. Railroad Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Missouri Pacific Railroad v. Railroad Commission, 398 S.W.2d 339, 1966 Tex. App. LEXIS 2711 (Tex. Ct. App. 1966).

Opinion

ARCHER, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from a summary judgment sustaining the Railroad Commission’s Order No. 13639-R.

A joint motion for summary judgment by the defendants Railroad Commission of Texas, Carling Brewing Company, Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc., and Carter Foundation Production Company was made, and hearing set, reply having been made.

The Order of the Commission is as follows :

“RAILROAD COMMISSION OF TEXAS TRANSPORTATION RATE SECTION RAILROAD FREIGHT CIRCULAR NO. 27309
DOCKET NO. 13639-R SWITCHING LIMITS OF MISSOURI PACIFIC R.R. AT FORT WORTH, To extend to include Carling Brewing Co. and Carter Foundation Production Co., and to establish terminal switching charge to apply between said locations and interchange with other railroads in Fort Worth switching limits.
Austin, Texas, June 12, 1964.

[340]*340The above cause involves an application filed by Missouri Pacific Railroad Company (hereinafter referred to as MP) for authority to extend their switching limits at Fort Worth as governing in connection with road-haul service, to include Carter Industrial Park and the plant of Carling Brewing Company under construction, and Carter Foundation Production Company, the latter being a development of some 2200 acres, a portion of which at least is being developed for industrial purposes. The application to extend the switching limits carried with it establishment of switching charge of $25.00 on cars handled by MP between Carter Park and interchange connections with other railroads in Fort Worth to be absorbed by said other railroads on shipments they handle in road-haul service.

From the present switching limits of MP at Fort Worth to the turn-out into Carter Park is 6.25 miles, and from the turn-out to the plant of Carling Brewing Company is 3 miles, involving an extension of 9.25 miles.

The reciprocal (terminal) switching charge in connection with road-haul shipments at Fort Worth is generally $15.83 per car. To justify a charge of $25.00 per car on cars switched between the Carter Park location and interchange connections with other lines in Fort Worth, on road-haul traffic, MP presented what is purported to be costs of performing the service for 60,000 pound and 70,000 pound net loads, for which the out-of-pocket costs were shown to be $24.25 and 24.46, and fully distributed costs $33.11 and $34.80, respectively.

Under the proposal the $25.00 charge would be absorbed by the other Fort Worth lines on shipments to or from Carter Park in road-haul service to points on their lines beyond Fort Worth. The shippers or receivers of freight at Carter Park would not be called upon to pay the $25.00 charge.

The Carter Park location is a new industrial area being developed by Carter Foundation Production Company, and Carling Brewing Company is erecting a brewery in that location. Crown Cork and Seal Company is constructing, or intend constructing, a plant in Carter Park; and it is the purpose to locate other industries at the location.

Carter Park Production Company, Car-ling Brewing Company and Crown Cork and Seal Company, along with the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Worth Freight Bureau desire to have the Carter Park location placed in the switching limits so that it may 'be accorded reciprocal (terminal) switching the same as other industries in Fort Worth, and have negotiated with MP in an effort to accomplish that purpose. These interests, however, generally opposed the $25.00 charge. Carling fears that if the other Fort Worth railroads have to absorb $25.00 on cars to or from their plant, compared with $15.83 charge generally applicable between other locations in Fort Worth, such railroads might be reluctant to furnish the needed cars which in turn might result in some additional expense to them. Carter Foundation Production Company desires that the switching to and from Carter Park location be handled at the same charge, whatever it may be, that applies between other locations in Fort Worth. The Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and Fort Worth Freight Bureau opposed the $25.00 charge because they fear it might be a deterrent in their efforts to locate other industries in Carter Park at Fort Worth but would not oppose it if it would not adversely affect their ability to do so. The interest of all of these parties seems to be to have the same switching charge to or from Carter Park as applies generally between other locations in Fort Worth, some of which they believe involve distances as great if not greater than the distance to and from Carter Park.

[341]*341There is an intervening area between Carter Park and the present switching limits which the application of MP herein does not specifically ask to be included in the switching limits. To extend the switching limits to Carter Park, however, while maintaining the intermediate locations, at which there is some industry, separately and subject to rates based on distance therefrom, would have the effect in some instances of maintaining higher rates for the shorter than for the longer distances, which should be avoided.

We are of opinion and find that the application to extend the switching limits of MP at Fort Worth to include the Carter Park location and industries therein or to be located therein, should be approved; and further, that the extension of the switching limits should be made to include also the area intermediate between the turn-out into Carter Park and the present switching limits, thereby placing the line of MP between Carter Park and the present switching limits, in the Fort Worth switching limits.

We are further of opinion and find that as long as the general reciprocal (terminal) switching charge at Fort Worth is $15.83, the said charge should be made to apply also between the Carter Park location and the intermediate area, on the one-hand, and interchange connections with other railroads in Fort Worth, on the other hand, on shipments they may handle to or from points on their lines; the said switching charge to be subject to the current switching absorption rule.

Public hearing having been held in the above numbered and entitled cause, pursuant to notice duly given, and the evidence there presented having been considered, and having entered above herein our opinion and findings, which opinion and findings are made a part of this order, it is ordered by the Railroad Commission of Texas that the road-haul switching limits of the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company at Fort Worth, Texas, be extended to the extent provided in our said findings above herein and to be subject to reciprocal (terminal) switching charge and current switching absorption rules, as provided in our said findings.

It is further ordered that our order herein, and the tariff amendments to be based thereon, shall become effective five days after publication by Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, but not later than July 15, 1964.

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Bluebook (online)
398 S.W.2d 339, 1966 Tex. App. LEXIS 2711, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/missouri-pacific-railroad-v-railroad-commission-texapp-1966.