Way back in January, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) agreed to reopen the case of whether Pioneer Industrial Railway should be replaced as the operator of the Kellar Branch rail line with Central Illinois Railroad. They said they wanted to hear from both sides of the issue, consider any new evidence each side would like to provide, and then decide whether to uphold their original ruling or overturn it. Said they, “We will require this evidence on an expedited basis so as to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.”

All the evidence was in by the middle of last month. One wonders what “as quickly as possible” means to the STB. They do seem to move at a snail’s pace. Regardless of which side of the issue you’re on, it is frustrating to have these long periods of time in limbo, waiting for a ruling.

The longer they wait, the more work they make for themselves. Since the deadline for evidence passed, further filings have come in — from the Friends of the Rock Island Trail, from the City, from Peoria Heights, and a motion from Pioneer to strike all those untimely filings. So now the STB has to decide what evidence they’re going to allow first (a separate ruling), then decide the core issue.

Meanwhile, Carver Lumber is without competitive rail service, the tracks are lying unused by anyone and deteriorating, and impatience is mounting. Hopefully “as soon as possible” will mean “before Memorial Day” at least.