BNSF Railway Co. sues Oklahoma over 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 Thursday in Oklahoma City by BNSF Railway Co. of Fort Worth. The lawsuit names the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and the cities of Edmond and Davis.

Officials with the commission and the cities declined comment 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 U.S. law governing rail carriers supersedes any state law.