Union Pacific Case at Top Court Tests Railyard Locomotive Safety

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider a train conductor’s bid to revive his lawsuit against Union Pacific Railroad Co. that asks whether a locomotive is subject to federal safety regulations when it makes a temporary stop in a rail yard.

The justices announced Wednesday that they’ll review a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit that threw out conductor Bradley LeDure’s claims against Union Pacific. The appeals court held in June 2020 that the locomotive would only be covered by the Locomotive Inspection Act’s safety standards when it’s “in use,” which would require the ...