(Railfanning.org News Wire) — Norfolk Southern Railway Co. has filed a notice of exemption with the Surface Transportation Board to abandon approximately 0.96 miles of railroad track in Madison County, Ohio.
The proposed abandonment covers a segment between mileposts XD 24.73 and XD 25.69 in ZIP code 43140.
Norfolk Southern certified that no local traffic has moved over the line for at least two years and that any overhead traffic can be rerouted over other lines.
The railroad also reported that no qualifying complaints concerning the cessation of service are pending before the STB or a federal district court or have been decided in favor of a complainant within the past two years.
The exemption is scheduled to take effect Dec. 2, 2026, unless stayed or affected by a formal expression of intent to submit an offer of financial assistance.
Petitions to stay the exemption on nonenvironmental grounds, expressions of intent to submit an offer of financial assistance and requests for interim trail use or railbanking must be filed by Nov. 12.
Petitions to reopen the proceeding and requests for public use conditions are due Nov. 23.
Norfolk Southern has submitted a combined environmental and historic report addressing potential effects of the abandonment.
The STB’s Office of Environmental Analysis is expected to release a draft environmental assessment by Nov. 6. Comments concerning environmental or historic preservation matters must be filed within 15 days after the assessment becomes available.
The STB may impose environmental, historic preservation, public use or trail use conditions in a subsequent decision.
The proceeding is identified as STB Docket No. AB 290, Sub-No. 426X.
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