The Toledo, Lake Erie & Western still wants to resume its tourist train service, but offering freight service appears unlikely for now.
The 10-mile railroad last ran passenger trains in 2010 on its line between Waterville and Grand Rapids, Ohio.
The 2011 season was canceled after vandals broke into some of the train cars and stole seat bottoms and loosened a gas line on a motor car, causing it to spew gasoline when it was moved.
At one time, an affiliate company, Midwest Rail LLC, had plans to work with Norfolk Southern to develop freight service. In 2012, NS had used TLE&W-operated track to store unit coal trains destined for Detroit Edison
NS owns and had leased to the TLE&W 1.8 miles of track near Waterville that is the TLE&W’s only connection to the national rail network.
NS and Midwest Rail jointly obtained on July 1 a federal discontinuance of service exemption of the NS-owned track.
Midwest Rail never developed any other freight business and subsequently defaulted on its lease, which a Surface Transportation Board filing stated has since been canceled.
NS spokesman Dave Pidgeon said NS has no plans to remove the out-of-service track.
Clarice Wyse, TLE&W’s president, said tourist train operations won’t likely resume operation before mid-2016 because the equipment still needs to be repaired.
Tags: Norfolk Southern, Ohio tourist trains, passenger trains, Toledo Lake Erie & Western
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