Part of Cape Girardeau County railroad line likely to be removed

More than 13 miles of disused train tracks between Gordonville and Delta that were part of Southeast Missouri's first rail line are likely to be abandoned and removed, pending federal approval.

The Jackson, Gordonville and Delta Railroad Co. is planning to file a notice to abandon the portion of tracks with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board on May 14. Approval is expected within 50 days, based on a rule that allows abandonment after a line has been out of service two years.

The stretch of railway was part of the Iron Mountain Road, organized by the state legislature in 1851 to carry supplies of iron ore from Iron Mountain to the Mississippi River and other areas. It was later reorganized as the St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway and in 1917 merged with the Missouri Pacific Railroad. In 1984, just more than 18 miles of the line was bought by the Jackson Industrial Development Co., which sold its portion to the Jackson, Gordonville and Delta Railroad Co. in 1993.

The railroad provided passenger services until around 1997 and at one point was approached to resume carrying freight, but repair estimates were about $1 million per mile, according to company president Robert L. Adams.

"It isn't safe to put a train on that rail," said Adams of the Gordonville to Delta section. "It's just not feasible to bring it back."

According to a report submitted to the Cape Girardeau County Commission, the company would remove the rails, ties and other salvageable materials from the roadbed.

Though the final decision will lie with the Surface Transportation Board, the county was asked to determine if there are any historical or environmental reasons the line should be preserved. Stephen Pledger, director of the Cape Girardeau County Archives, reviewed the report and, according to commission minutes from May 3, found no reason to stall the company's plans.

W. Robert Alderson Jr., attorney for JGD Railroad, said the county was one of a number of governmental, historical and environmental agencies that had to be consulted for input. So far, he said, responses have indicated that no adverse effects are anticipated.

Adams said there are no plans to take the remaining five miles between Jackson and Gordonville out of service, which is used for recreational excursions by the St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway.

Associate Commissioner Jay Purcell said he would like to see the abandoned line transformed into a trail, similar to the Katy Trail, a 237-mile "rails-to-trail" project. He'd like to bring it up again in front of the commission. Any proposed plan would include the opportunity for public input, he said.

However, the expense of creating and maintaining such a trail might be cost-prohibitive, Associate Commissioner Paul Koeper said.

salderman@semissourian.com

388-3648

Pertinent address:

Gordonville, MO

Delta, MO

1 Barton Sq., Jackson, MO