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O�SOU T118�� <br /> 4 � <br /> U d <br /> W PEACE a <br /> 1865 <br /> Office of the Maw <br /> NEWS RELEASE <br /> September 15,2011 <br /> 4:00pm <br /> City seeks railway abandonment <br /> 3.7-mile Norfolk Southern line could allow trail, other uses <br /> Contact: Mikki Dobski,Director of Communications & Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564 <br /> or Charles Leone, City Attorney, 235-9241 <br /> Reference: To see the filing, click on www.stb.dot.gov(http://www.stb.dot.gov/)When the web <br /> page opens, click on E-Library. Then scroll down to filings. The screen will show AB_290_286, <br /> Sisters of the Holy Cross, which is this case. <br /> South Bend, IN: Two interconnecting branch lines of the Norfolk Southern Railway Co. running <br /> from South Bend's west side to the Saint Mary's College campus would be abandoned if a <br /> petition filed by the City of South Bend and other partners is approved. <br /> Attorneys representing the City of South Bend,the Brothers of Holy Cross Inc., Holy Cross <br /> Village at Notre Dame and the Sisters of the Holy Cross Inc. filed the petition Tuesday with the <br /> federal Surface Transportation Board. The petition seeks to re-open the board's 2008 ruling that <br /> there wasn't a sufficient burden of proof for Norfolk Southern to abandon the 3.7 miles of rail <br /> lines, even though the railway company has indicated it will not sell the lines to any purchaser. <br /> "There is no hope of attracting current or future traffic to move over the long-dormant, dead-end <br /> tracks that are involved in this case,"the petition said. "Their prolonged retention as part of the <br /> nation's rail transportation system serves no useful purpose." <br /> The Norfolk Southern branch lines have not been used for any rail service since 1994 or 1995 <br /> when they were owned by Conrail. In addition, seven businesses located along the line <br /> unanimously support abandonment, saying they have no present or future need for rail service. <br />