Zombie Rail Line in Louisiana Gets Official Service Shutdown Notice
Published Date: 2/18/2025
Notice
Summary
The Arkansas Louisiana & Mississippi Railroad is stopping service on a 9.3-mile rail line in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana, because their lease ends March 31, 2025, and they won’t renew it. No local trains have run there since before 2014, and any traffic can be rerouted. This change won’t cost users extra, but employees affected will get protections.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Rail service ends on 9.32-mile line
The Arkansas Louisiana & Mississippi Railroad will discontinue service over a 9.32-mile rail line in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana. ALM says no local traffic has used the line since before 2014 and any overhead traffic can be rerouted, and the exemption becomes effective on March 20, 2025 unless stayed.
Employee protection requirement
Employees adversely affected by the discontinuance will be protected under the Oregon Short Line employee-protection condition (360 I.C.C. 91 (1979)). Questions about whether this adequately protects employees can be raised via a petition for partial revocation.
Option to subsidize continued service
Parties may submit a formal expression of intent to file an Offer of Financial Assistance (OFA) to subsidize continued rail service; such expressions (and related petitions to stay not involving environmental issues) had to be filed by February 28, 2025. If no OFA expression is received, the exemption becomes effective March 20, 2025.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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