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The Surface Transportation Board (STB) will hold a public field hearing Aug. 21 in Eugene, Ore., to review the Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad Inc.'s (CORP) filing to abandon a portion of the Coos Bay Line, and the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay's application to "force" CORP to sell the line portion and an additional Coos Bay Line segment to the port.

Prior to the hearing, STB staff members will conduct a public information session to discuss and answer questions about the board's procedures in abandonment and "forced sale" cases.

Last month, CORP submitted a filing to the STB seeking approval to abandon a 94.3-mile portion of the Coos Bay Line between Vaughn and Cordes, Ore. The line runs from Coquille to Eugene. Owned by RailAmerica Inc., CORP also plans to discontinue service on segments of the line leased from Union Pacific Railroad and Longview, Portland & Northern Railway Co.

CORP closed the Coos Bay Line in September 2007 because officials determined three tunnels posed a safety risk to operations and were costly to repair. In addition, the line's traffic had declined significantly. The port seeks to keep the line portion open and maintain service for shippers along the route.