FOR RELEASE	Contact: Dennis Watson
12/19/2003 (Friday)	(202) 565-1596
No. 03-50	FIRS 1 (800) 877-8339
	www.stb.gov

Surface Transportation Board Announces Success of Technical Conference in a Major Rail-Rate Case

Surface Transportation Board (Board) Chairman Roger Nober today announced that representatives of The Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company, and the Union Pacific Railroad Company yesterday resolved a major issue in the second major railroad rate case to use the Board's new technical conference procedure.

In announcing the conference's success, Chairman Nober said,

"I appreciate the efforts of the parties to come together at the table to resolve their differences. Agreements reached in such conferences help save all participants time and money, and help result in clearer evidence getting filed in these cases. I believe that technical conferences with parties and Board staff are the way to resolve and expedite rate cases."

This technical conference addressed an outstanding issue in the rate case entitled Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. v. The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company and Union Pacific Railroad Company, Docket No. 42058. It follows the success of the Board's initial technical conference held in July 2003 in another, major rail rate case.

###