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Union, Iowa, Elevator, M&Stl,, Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad, Prairie Land Cooperative, Union by photolibrarian

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Looking to the northwest.

Rail abandonment could be adverse to Eldora

March 8, 2011

By KEN BLACK, TIMES-REPUBLICAN

ELDORA - A rail line from Ackley to Marshalltown could soon be abandoned if the investors and business cannot be found to keep it open, leaving some in Central Iowa very concerned about transportation issues.

The line, owned by Iowa River Railroad, has become unprofitable and the company has made preliminary moves that could result in abandonment. In Eldora, the Iowa Department of Transportation had a public meeting to discuss options and bring interested parties together.

Bob Forr, operations manager at Quality Products, said the loss of the railroad would create a very significant hardship on his business, which brings in raw materials on the line mainly from the north, but also sometimes from the Marshalltown area. Quality Products is a manufacturer of plastic products and employs more than 100 people in Eldora.

A portion of rail line owned by Iowa River Railroad in Eldora is shown here. A line from Ackley to Marshalltown could soon be abandoned if a way cannot be found to save it. People in Eldora have expressed concern about the negative repercussions of closing the line.

If the rail line were unavailable, Forr said it would add $250,000 annually to his budget for transporting raw materials into his plant.

"It's going to be a business decision on whether or not it's feasible to stay here," he said. "It's not small change. Our payroll is over $2 million a year. That's going to be a big loss to the city of Eldora."

Most of the use the rail currently receives is between Eldora and points to the north. There is a good chance that the rail will extend from the Chicago, Central and pacific Railroad line nearly Ackley to as far south as Highway 20. Some are hoping at least to keep the line open from the north to Eldora and others are hoping the line remains open all the way to Marshalltown.

Deb Crosser, executive director of economic development for Eldora, said the unique thing about the line is that it connects both to the Chicago, Central and Pacific Railroad and Union Pacific.

Marty Wymore, director of the Region VI Planning Commission, had a two-fold interest in the meeting.

"Our first interest is in continuing the rail service here," he said. "If that fails, we're certainly interested in other uses of this rail corridor."

One of those uses could be a recreational trail between Marshalltown and Eldora. From Eldora, the trail could connect with a trail near Pine Lake State Park and continue all the way to George Wyth Memorial State Park in Cedar Falls.

Several members of the Central Iowa Bicycle Club were also in attendance.

Tamara Nicholson, director of IDOT's Office or Rail Transportation, said the DOT has very little say in whether the rail line is abandoned and its purpose on conducting the meeting was simply to facilitate discussion and educate.

If a group of investors wanted to keep the rail line open, Nicholson said the DOT does offer the Railroad Revolving Loan and Grant Program, which could help with the cost of acquiring the line. However, the investors would be completely responsible for maintaining the line after that point.

Contact Ken Black at 641-753-6611 or kblack@timesrepublican.com

Gifford, Iowa, Railroad Track, M&Stl., Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad by photolibrarian

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Looking southeast.