The Webster Progress-Times

Establishment of a regional rail authority will be the next step supporters will take in their attempts to restore the Columbus and Greenville Railway corridor between West Point and Greenwood.

About 25 people from counties along the line attended Friday's meeting at the Eupora Depot, which was a follow-up to one last July in which a project study was presented. The Appalachian Regional Commission awarded the Webster County Development Council a grant to study the feasibility of restoring rail service along the line.

C&G stopped operating the line's contiguous east-west operations seven years ago because of bridge failure and deteriorating track conditions, and the 93 miles between West Point and Greenwood remain out of service.

Speakers Friday included Mississippi State University's Bethany Stitch and Bill Martin. Stitch, authors of the study "Recovery of the Columbus and Greenville Railroad." Stitch is an assistant professor with the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, and Martin is interim director of the Franklin Furniture Institute and project manager for the Industrial Outreach Service.

"If you lose the railbed, you'll never get it back," Stitch said. "We have the unique opportunity to take a railroad that spans the state and revive it."

The study notes that the restoration would mean upgrading the track to allow 286,000-pound railcar capacity at a cost estimated up to $56 million. Stitch said the study team determined that the railroad could sustain itself and draw businesses if rebuilt to modern standards.

More could be done, according to Stitch, by connecting the C&G to Alabama and Arkansas to create a national freight corridor.

She proposed the construction of a rail bridge at the U.S. 82 Mississippi River crossing in Greenville, which Stitch asserted would pay for itself within three years by attracting more industry. She and Martin also mentioned the possibility of revitalizing two ports, at the Tenn-Tom and Greenville, and having an intermodal port in Winona, which they predicted would benefit the most from restoring the railroad.

"This railroad has the potential to connect the East Coast to the West Coast," said Stitch. "We think this railroad has huge potential for this area ... Investment in your infrastructure equates to economic development."

Roger Bell, C&G's president and chief executive officer, addressed the issue of a coalition in other counties that has been pushing to turn the unused railroad track into a Rails-to-Trails recreational trail. C&G would have to officially abandon the line before such a project could proceed.

"We have no plans to abandon the railroad in the foreseeable future," Bell stated.

C&G does not plan to do so, he said, because of the assets it has on the line, and its commitment to Mississippi and its potential industrial growth. Bell also said the company is interested in the revitalization project as long as the railroad is rebuilt to modern standards. Regarding the high costs that would be involved, Bell guaranteed that the railroad would pay for itself if built back to the standards needed.

"Rails are the most efficient means of hauling freight," he said. "There are many positives you can make for this. ... Why shouldn't we be doing it?"

Cynthia Wilson, executive director of the WCDC, discussed the process of establishing a regional rail authority and, if needed, requesting supporting millage. She also said securing federal Homeland Security dollars was the best shot at obtaining federal money for the project because the corridor could be used as an alternate east-west railroad route in case of a catastrophic event in Vicksburg or Memphis.

Wilson, Stitch and Martin indicated that they plan to revisit the boards of supervisors in all eight counties that would be affected to request that each adopt a resolution to establish a rail authority. Six of the counties have already adopted resolutions of support. If the authority is established, C&G could quitclaim the rail line to the authority, which would then lease it back to C&G.