IAIS/NS Filing Abandonment of the entire Grimes line and Clive spur
Posted: Mon May 25, 2026 12:21 pm
Wow. This blindsided me checking Iowa's Regulatory Authority and Abandonment page today. I had no idea that this was filed in April, let alone even in the works...
Sighting declining traffic, poor track conditions that would cost too much to repair, and that the two main shippers have already switched some of their shipments to truck traffic.
Both railroads write off other railroads being interesting in taking over the line. But wouldn't this be a prime line for a class 3 to operate, regenerate lost traffic, and also build back some shippers that IAIS drove off?
Of course, the trail groups are salivating at getting their grubby paws on the ROW. 20 years ago there were studies run to look at commuter rail in the metro. This was actually one of the prime corridors looked at. Unfortunately due to the shift in Iowa's political landscape the powers that be were less and less progressive enough to invest in better mass transit and only saw trails, trails, trails...
https://www.stb.gov/proceedings-actions ... _290_424_X
Sighting declining traffic, poor track conditions that would cost too much to repair, and that the two main shippers have already switched some of their shipments to truck traffic.
Both railroads write off other railroads being interesting in taking over the line. But wouldn't this be a prime line for a class 3 to operate, regenerate lost traffic, and also build back some shippers that IAIS drove off?
Of course, the trail groups are salivating at getting their grubby paws on the ROW. 20 years ago there were studies run to look at commuter rail in the metro. This was actually one of the prime corridors looked at. Unfortunately due to the shift in Iowa's political landscape the powers that be were less and less progressive enough to invest in better mass transit and only saw trails, trails, trails...
https://www.stb.gov/proceedings-actions ... _290_424_X