Forgotten Rails Fade Away: Georgia Tracks Get Official Abandonment Nod
Published Date: 12/3/2025
Notice
Summary
South Carolina Central Railroad and Georgia Southwestern Railroad are teaming up to stop using and officially abandon about 2.17 miles of rail track in Muscogee County, Georgia. No trains have run there since 2016, and no one’s complained, so the change should be smooth. This move affects local freight service and protects any workers impacted by the shutdown.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Rail employees get job protections
The Board’s exemptions are conditioned so that any employee adversely affected by the abandonment or discontinuance is protected under the Oregon Short Line rule (360 I.C.C. 91 (1979)). A petition for partial revocation under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed to challenge whether those protections are adequate.
2.17 miles of track in Georgia to be abandoned
South Carolina Central Railroad and Georgia Southwestern Railroad will abandon and discontinue service over about 2.17 miles of rail line in Muscogee County, Georgia. The exemptions take effect January 2, 2026 unless stayed; petitions to stay (non-environmental) must be filed by December 12, 2025, formal expressions of intent to file an offer of financial assistance or interim trail use/railbanking requests must be filed by December 15, 2025, petitions to reopen or public use requests by December 23, 2025, and SCRF must file a notice of consummation by December 3, 2026 or the authority expires.
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