Informational meeting set on Rock Island Trail proposal

An informational meeting will be held Thursday on a proposed conversion of the old Rock Island railroad bed across central Missouri into a biking and hiking trail.

The meeting, set for 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the Westphalia Knights of Columbus Hall, on U.S. 63 just north of Westphalia, will include representatives of Ameren Missouri, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Missouri Farm Bureau and the national Rails to Trails Conservancy, all of whom will be able to answer questions from anyone interested.

The old Rock Island Line Railroad corridor runs from Kansas City to near St. Louis, going through 10 Missouri counties, including Cole. When the Rock Island Lines railroad ceased operation in the mid-20th century, the railroad corridor was sold to the Missouri Central Railroad Company. After that entity halted operations, the railroad became the property of Ameren Missouri.

Authorization to convert the roughly 145 miles of rail to a recreational trail is pending approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation Surface Transportation Board.

Chrysa Niewald, president of the Missouri Rock Island Trail Inc., said converting the railroad to a recreational trail could provide an economic opportunity to many communities along the route.

"Most of the communities that exist along the corridor are old railroad communities," Niewald said. "When the railroad stopped running, communities found themselves losing business and industry and declining. We see it as a way to attract some new economic benefits to the communities."

Niewald said the trail group represents communities along the corridor that are in support of the conversion, noting they've been working for several years to make this trail a reality.

But not everyone is in support of the project. The Missouri Farm Bureau Federation is opposed to turning the corridor into a trail, even for interim use.

Leslie Holloway, director of regulatory affairs, said the federation believes the railroad should remain in place and be used for active rail traffic.

Holloway said the bureau also is concerned about how a trail conversion would be paid for and how landowners along the corridor would be affected.

Currently, the proposal calls for using railbanking to convert the corridor to a trail. Railbanking essentially means the corridor easement would be retained in case the railroad wants to re-establish a route through the area. In the meantime, the corridor would be able to be used for interim trail use.

By using railbanking, which is allowed under federal law, it keeps the property from reverting back to the original landowners because the property is not being abandoned.

"The landowners, in many cases, would like to have that property back, but that won't even be part of the consideration if this trail use moves forward," Holloway said.

The News Tribune has received letters to the editor from affected and concerned property owners who have stated they believe the property should revert back to their ownership rather than become a trail.