Nestlé Joins Manufacturers Suing Rail Operators Over Fuel Charges (1)

Nestlé SA, one of the world’s largest food manufacturers, became the latest to join a swell of companies suing railway operators over an alleged fuel price-fixing conspiracy.

The largest railway companies operating in the U.S.—including BNSF Railway Co., CSX Transportation Inc., Norfolk Southern Railway Co., Union Pacific Railroad Co.—began coordinating in 2003 to increase fuel surcharges, according to a complaint filed Wednesday by the Swiss company’s pet product unit, Nestlé Purina Petcare Co.

The railroads “engaged in an extraordinary series of meetings, phone calls, and email communications through which they embarked on a conspiracy, according to the complaint filed in ...