DORAVILLE, Georgia — A new short line railroad is seeking federal authority to lease and operate a 1.15-mile rail line from Norfolk Southern Railway into the Doraville Industrial Complex.
Northeast Atlanta Railroad LLC, known as NEAR, filed a verified notice of exemption with the Surface Transportation Board to lease and operate the line, which extends from the Stone Mountain Lead Switch at about milepost 620.64 on Norfolk Southern’s Greenville District near Doraville into the industrial complex.
NEAR is currently a noncarrier, but the transaction would make it a Class III rail carrier. The filing is tied to a separate control exemption involving OPSEU Pension Plan Trust Fund, Jaguar Transport Holdings LLC and Jaguar Rail Holdings LLC, which seek to continue control of NEAR once it becomes a rail carrier. Norfolk Southern announced the new short line partnership last month.
According to the filing, NEAR and Norfolk Southern have reached an agreement under which NEAR will lease and operate the line. NEAR told regulators its projected annual revenue from the transaction would not make it a Class I or Class II railroad and is not expected to exceed $5 million.
The agreement includes an interchange commitment with monetary penalties on traffic interchanged by NEAR with a third-party carrier, according to the filing. NEAR provided the additional information required by federal regulations for that provision.
The transaction may be completed on or after May 30, the effective date of the exemption. Petitions to stay the exemption are due by May 22, while petitions to revoke may be filed at any time.
NEAR said the proposed transaction is categorically excluded from environmental review and historic preservation reporting requirements.
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