Federal railway regulators host forum in Fargo to address shipping fertilizer, grain delays

Federal regulators are hosting a hearing in Fargo, North Dakota, on complaints about delays in shipping fertilizer and grain by rail as oil shipments are taking up increasing space on American railroads.

The Surface Transportation Board has directed Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. and BNSF Railway to appear Thursday.

State Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring is scheduled to testify before the board.

Farmers and some politicians believe the increased crude oil and freight shipments from North Dakota's western oil fields are largely the cause of shipping delays, which have created big backlogs at grain elevators and added costs for agriculture shippers.