The Webster Progress-Times

Officials meeting in Eupora last week agreed that a regional rail authority should be established in an effort to reopen the C&G Railway line between Columbus and Greenwood.

The Webster County Development Council hosted the Nov. 16 gathering at the Depot. Among the nearly 55 in attendance from Webster, Oktibbeha, Montgomery, Choctaw, Carroll, Leflore, Clay and Lowndes counties were elected county and city officials and state legislators, economic developers and interested citizens.

Representatives from U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran's office, the North Mississippi Industrial Development Agency, Mississippi Development Authority, planning and development districts, and the Appalachian Regional Commission also attended.

Roger Bell, president of Columbus and Greenville Railway, and Bill McGlathery of MDA's Strategic Initiatives division made remarks and answered questions.

C&G ceased services between Columbus and Greenwood in 2001 because of a lack of available funding to modernize the many bridges along the 92-mile route and a lack of freight. Bell pointed out that most of its shippers had directed their traffic to trucks, with only one customer (Winona Elevator) remaining at that time.

"We made a commitment to abandon the rail line, but put it on mothballs ... with hopes things would get better," he said.

Now, Bell said, C&G thinks it has great value in this area because of new industrial development such as Eurocopter and the SeverCorr project near Columbus, which is scheduled to open in 2007. C&G has been involved with SeverCorr officials, he said.

The cost of upgrading the track would be millions, he acknowledged, but Bell said he felt this would be worth the investment because it is the only rail line in Mississippi north of I-20, and freight traffic is expected to double.

Bell, in expressing C&G's support, said, "We don't know what may be in this rail line's future. It's not about today ... It's somewhere down the road."

McGlathery said, "The business is there. We are very interested about the possibility of reopening the track."

State Rep. Mary Ann Stevens of West also pledged her support for the regional effort.

"We have no choice but to save the railroad," she said.

Former state representative Bobby Howell of Kilmichael suggested that the economic developers in the counties involved - namely Webster, Montgomery and Leflore - form a committee to pursue development of a regional rail authority involving all the counties along the C&G, which would require an act of the Legislature. If organized, the authority would lease the line to C&G. Those present were in favor of his recommendation.

Besides working on organizing the rail authority, the committee will begin work on having a feasibility study done to determine the economic feasibility of reopening the line. Bell will be working with the committee members in these efforts.

Once the feasibility study is done and if the rail authority is established, officials plan to lobby for funding at the state and federal level to refurbish and bring the line up to a higher standard than it was before it stopped operation.

Also being considered is the possibility of adding a spur that would run from Mathiston to Ackerman by way of the Red Hills Mine.