Grenada Railroad Completes Line Restoration Project

(Grenada Railroad Photograph)

Grenada Railroad on Aug. 29 celebrated the complete restoration of its 235-mile line that runs between Canton, Miss., and Memphis, Tenn.

It took nine years and millions of dollars in federal, state and private investment to lead up to this point, which was marked by a celebration with community leaders, Grenada Railroad parent company Gulf & Atlantic Railways reported.

Grenada Railroad—which received Honorable Mention in Railway Age’s 2021 Short Line and Regional Railroads of the Year program—was near abandonment in 2014 when 90 miles of track between Grenada, Miss., and Canton, Miss., fell into disrepair. “State and local officials stepped in to save the railroad and federal officials provided grants, including a FASTLANE grant in 2017 and a Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grant from the Federal Railroad Administration in 2020, to help fund the project,” according to Gulf & Atlantic Railways. The FASTLANE grant was used to reopen an abandoned 81 miles of track and the Canton interchange; the $6.2 million CRISI grant was used to repair 90 miles of track and 36 bridges on the northern portion of the line from Grenada to Southhaven, Miss.

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Gulf & Atlantic Railways told Railway Age that in 2022, Grenada Railroad completed track and bridge work to achieve the 286K GWR certification; the remaining work in 2023 was non-track-related, including a locomotive inspection pit and building.

Grenada Railroad offers access to all six Class I railroads, daily interchanges, a fleet of centerbeams and boxcars, fast turn times, and a capacity of 2,200 storage spots.  

“We are proud to have a played a role in the restoration of this important transportation infrastructure that will bring economic opportunities for North Central Mississippi for years to come,” Gulf & Atlantic Railways CEO Ryan Ratledge said.

“I want to thank the team effort that it took from the local, state and federal levels to make this impactful project possible,” said Brad White, Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation. “At MDOT, we recognize the importance of having a strong multimodal transportation network in the state, and rails is certainly a huge part of that. I’m excited to see the positive economic impact that the rehab and upgrades to the Grenada rail line will make in Mississippi.”

“The improvements to Grenada Railroad’s 235-mile line from Canton, Miss., to Memphis, Tenn., will have a tremendous positive impact on businesses served along the route,” Mississippi Development Authority Deputy Director Laura Hipp said. “This milestone signifies more opportunities for trade and growth, which will foster stronger economic landscapes for the communities the Grenada Railroad serves.”

Background

“Grenada Railroad LLC has operated the line since 2015, pursuant to a lease agreement between Grenada Railroad and the North Central Mississippi Regional Railroad Authority,” Gulf & Atlantic Railways General Counsel Kristin Bevil told Railway Age. “Grenada Railroad LLC and North Central Mississippi Regional Railroad Authority entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement on April 27, 2023, whereby Grenada Railroad LLC would acquire the line, including the previously out-of-service Aberdeen Branch consisting of about 21.70 miles of branch line between Aberdeen Junction and Kosciusko, Miss., and the transaction closed on June 2, 2023.”

She added that the May 25, 2023, Surface Transportation Board waiver that was granted “is a procedural step where Grenada Railroad requested a partial waiver to the 60-day notice requirement, reducing the notice to 30-days, because there were no operational changes on the Line and no employees were affected.”

Gulf & Atlantic Railways also runs the 430-mile Florida, Gulf & Atlantic Railroad, and earlier this year acquired the 15-mile Camp Chase Railroad, 28-mile Chesapeake & Indiana Railroad, and 10-mile Vermilion Valley Railroad from Midwestern & Bluegrass Rail. The short line holding company on Aug. 29 reported entering a definitive agreement to acquire Pinsly Railroad Company’s Massachusetts short line and warehousing business.