Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railway Company vs Illinois, 118 U.S.557 (1886) case is a case by the Supreme Court of the US that was instrumental in the formation of the Interstate Commerce Commission. With the expansion of railroads in the US during the 1800s, legal issues that were difficult to deal with arose. Several railway companies were private entities but operated beyond the state borders making it hard to regulate them.
Despite states instituting their regulations, enforce beyond the borders was not practical. As a result, the companies set their practices and standards that led to abuse. The Wabash v. Illinois case is part of the many that arose due to the challenges faced in regulating private railway companies. The case led to legislation that saw the formation of the Interstate commerce commission and regulation of interstate trade and railroads in general.