ARIZONA REGULATORS FINE UNION PACIFIC FOR CONSTRUCTION PHOENIX, AZ -- An Arizona commission that regulates railroad safety has imposed a $56,000 fine against Union Pacific because the railroad started construction work on a major track expansion project without getting state approval first. The Arizona Corporation Commission unanimously fined Union Pacific because the company didn't have authorization to rebuild a crossing in Bowie in Cochise County as part of its plan to add a second track on the main line across southern Arizona. Railroad representatives apologized to the commission and said the start of work without authorization resulted from communication failures within the railroad and with its contractor. Union Pacific representatives said the company is taking steps to ensure that the acknowledged error won't happen again, and commission members made it clear they won't tolerate another misstep. They noted that they had clearly signaled to Union Pacific that they wanted to scrutinize all of the dozens of proposed crossing rebuilding projects that the railroad plans. - The Associated Press, KVOA-TV4, Tucson, AZ
