Iowa Pacific to operate Grenada Railway

The North Central Mississippi Regional Railroad Authority (NCMRRA) on July 30, 2015 completed its acquisition of Grenada Railway, LLC and signed a 15-year lease agreement with a subsidiary of Iowa Pacific Holdings to operate and develop new business on the line.

The new operator, who will continue to do business under the name Grenada Railway LLC, took over operations at 12:01 a.m. on July 29, 2015 “and is working closely with the rail authority and customers along the line to accomplish a smooth transition,” said Iowa Pacific President Ed Ellis. “No interruption of service is expected, and customers are advised to continue planning and requesting rail service as they normally do.”

NCMRRA’s acquisition includes all of the assets of the Grenada Line between milepost 403.0 in Southaven, Miss., and milepost 703.8 near Canton, Miss., and the 10.42-mile Water Valley Branch located between milepost 604.0 at Water Valley Junction and Milepost 614.42 at Bruce Junction (Coffeeville).

The NCMRRA was created in 2011 by representatives from the counties of Tate, Panola, Yalobusha, Grenada, Montgomery, Carroll, and Holmes Counties with the objective of protecting long-term rail service in the region. The Grenada Line is one of a handful of short lines that has the capacity to provide direct access to the North American Class I railroad system and to the Gulf of Mexico, through its connections with CN in Memphis, Tenn., and Canton, Miss.