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Upon further review, I’m going to do an about-face on my earlier comments about Pioneer Railcorp’s chances of winning their attempt to purchase the Kellar Branch.Â
Apparently, if I’ve read some other Surface Transportation Board (STB) rulings correctly (and, seriously, who knows if I have?), an “offer of financial assistance,” or “OFA,” can be made in a discontinuance case only if the purpose is to subsidize the current carrier, not to purchase the line. What that means is Pioneer will most likely lose their attempt to purchase the Kellar Branch, and, depending on how quickly the STB moves, we’ll probably be seeing a trail in the making as early as this fall.
The bad news is, while other communities create industrial parks with rail service from scratch and attract higher-paying industrial jobs to their cities, Peoria will tear out its rail service and probably fill up its “industrial park” with lower-paying retail jobs.Â
But the good news is, we‘ll have the most precious commodity any community can ever have — one, without which, the future of our city would be bleak at best — an asset that will draw hundreds of new residents and attract millions in tourist dollars — a natural resource that will catapult us into financial independence and superior health: a hiking and biking trail. Lord knows how this city has survived for 161 years without it.
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