New action on Greenville abandonment

Greenville has formally protested Mid-Michigan Railroad's abandonment of the Greenville-Belding-Lowell line. ((story)

Update on Lowell-Greenville abandonment

The STB has released its environmental assessment of Mid-Michigan Railroad's proposed Lowell-Greenville abandonment (previous post). No surprises in the report, and the STB concludes that the full environmental impact process isn't necessary, just as it did for the Lowell-Ionia branch (post). They're still waiting on input from the State Historic Preservation Officer, but I can't imagine it'll amount to much. MMRR proposes to take up the rails and leave all the rest--bridges, culverts and the roadbed. Public comment is open until May 19, 2008. (full report).

STB approves Ionia-Lowell abandonment

As noted here, Mid-Michigan Railroad is seeking to abandon its 16-mile line east of Lowell into Ionia County. Today the STB signed off on the proposed conversion to a rail trail, or failing that abandonment, subject to the usual limitations (full report).

Ionia-Lowell abandonment continues

The STB has released its Environmental Assessment for Mid-Michigan's proposed abandonment of the Lowell-Ionia line. Although nominally concerned with the environmental impact, the document gives a good summary of the line's history and why the MMR wants to abandon it. This one's an oldie--the Detroit & Milwaukee laid it in 1857--but the line is only moving 22 railcars a year. No surprises in the report--MMR wants to salvage the rails but leave everything else. Like the Lowell-Greenville line, they're looking to turn it over to the West Michigan Trails and Greenway Coalition to be redeveloped as a rail trail.

STB is taking public comment on the environmental assessment through March 17.

Farewell to Lowell-Greenville?

Mid-Michigan Railroad is looking to abandon its line from Lowell to Greenville. They took a real hit when Electrolux closed its plant in Greenville; no trains have run on the stretch in some time. This 24-mile line is the last operational railway serving Greenville and Belding. The tracks are to be pulled up and the grade converted to a rail trail under the West Michigan Trails and Greenways Coalition.

The Patterson Railroad built the 1.67-mile section from Belding across the Flat River in 1872. That same year the Detroit, Lansing & Lake Michigan took ownership of the line and merged it with that of the recently acquired Ionia & Lansing, which had built north all the way to Greenville from Lansing. The final stretch, Lowell—Belding, was built in 1899 by the Grand Rapids, Belding & Saginaw. The first two segments passed to the Pere Marquette on its formation in 1899; the last in 1903. This line passed to the Cheaspeake & Ohio, then CSX, and finally Mid-Michigan sometime in the late 1990s. There are three stations (Lowell, Belding and Greenville), plus four bridges over the Flat River.

It's a pity to see this happen, but not surprising. The abandonment in Lowell is short of the Grand River (I think), so the Grand Rapids-Lowell link will remain. STB threw out the previous petition this January (link) after MDOT alleged various inaccuracies in MMRR's petition.