STB to seek public comments on Grenada Railway's service embargo in Mississippi

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has scheduled a public meeting for Nov. 15 in Winona, Miss., to review a service embargo that Grenada Railway L.L.C. (GRYR) imposed on a portion of its rail line between Grenada and Canton, Miss.

On Sept. 20, 2011, GRYR petitioned the board for permission to abandon about 81 miles of the line. The railway later withdrew its petition, but placed an embargoed on part of the line for two years, affecting service to its customers, STB officials said in a meeting notice.

"The board has substantial concerns about the lawfulness of the embargo," they said.

In a decision issued on Sept. 10, 2013, the STB denied a petition to revoke GRYR's exemption to acquire and operate a 175.4-mile line between Southaven and Canton, and also established a subdocket to assess the embargo.