Quote:
Originally Posted by Trail Goer
2. New England Southern has sole discretion of those rights under lease agreement with the state, if they feel its time to cut the cord, they are the ones that would have to file a discontinuance with the STB to give up those rights, the state can't do it for them. Given their current stance on this issue, I don't expect they will be filing anything with the STB any time soon.
4. Your reference to the other rail lines with rail trails, were constructed on abandoned lines. This rail corridor is not abandoned.
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Hi Trail Goer,
Thank you for your
factual comments. I have personally talked to the owner of the New England Southern Railroad multiple times. I can tell you emphatically that he has no intent to discontinue freight service along his northern corridor (Concord to Lincoln).
You are correct that it is typically the rail carrier that owns the right of way that files for discontinuance. In this case, the taking was by the state and both the Hobo Railroad and New England Southern Railroad have licenses with the state. New England Southern is licensed with STB as a common carrier...so they also have a federal license to operate. The historical rule has been that a rail line is not formally abandoned unless it has been unused for at least 2 years.
Jetskier
