Norfolk Southern Seeks to Retire a Rail Spur Nobody Used
Published Date: 11/2/2026
Notice
Summary
Norfolk Southern Railway is planning to stop using and officially abandon a short 0.96-mile rail line in Madison County, Ohio, because no trains have run there for over two years. This change affects local businesses and employees, who are protected by job safety rules. If no one steps up to save the line by December 2, 2026, the abandonment will go ahead, but there’s still time to file challenges or offers to keep it running.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Employee Job-Protection Under Oregon Short Line
Any employee adversely affected by the abandonment is protected under the Oregon Short Line Railroad job-protection standard (360 I.C.C. 91 (1979)). A party may challenge whether that protection is adequate by filing a petition for partial revocation under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d).
Opportunity to File Offers to Save the Line (OFA)
Interested parties may submit a formal expression of intent to file an Offer of Financial Assistance (OFA) to purchase or subsidize the line; the expression must indicate the type of financial assistance and preliminary financial responsibility. Formal expressions of intent to file an OFA and interim trail use/railbanking requests must be filed by November 12, 2026.
Rail Segment Abandonment Effective Dec 2, 2026
Norfolk Southern filed to abandon a 0.96-mile segment of rail between milepost XD 24.73 +/- and XD 25.69 +/- in Madison County, Ohio (ZIP 43140). If no formal expression of intent to file an offer of financial assistance (OFA) is received, the abandonment exemption becomes effective on December 2, 2026.
Environmental Review and Public Comment Timeline
The Board's Office of Environmental Analysis will issue a Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) by November 6, 2026. Comments on environmental or historic preservation matters must be filed within 15 days after the Draft EA becomes available to the public.
Trail Use/Public-Use and Reopen Deadlines
Requests for interim trail use/railbanking must be filed by November 12, 2026; petitions to reopen and requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by November 23, 2026. Environmental, historic preservation, public use, or trail use/railbanking conditions may be imposed in a later decision.
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