(The Clarion Ledger posted the following article by Arnold Lindsay on its website on March 26.)
CLARION, Miss. — State legislative and economic development officials are scheduled to meet today with representatives of Canadian National Railway.
The meeting comes after railroad officials indicated they were studying options for two segments of track on which business will plummet after a major client, International Paper in Natchez, shuts down this summer.
Canadian National officials said the company is studying options for segments of track running between Natchez and Brookhaven, and from Canton to Grenada.
“We have heard persistent rumors that they’re not repairing the lines. They’re down to 10 miles-per-hours in some of the places.” said state Rep. Bobby Howell, R-Kilmichael. “We are vitally concerned with the economic development side of it. (Rail service) was one of the vital factors that helped us locate Nissan.
“We think the state has a vital interest in this line. We want to make sure we don’t fumble the ball ourselves.”
Howell said lawmakers also have asked the Mississippi Department of Transportation and Mississippi Development Authority to participate in the information seeking session.
Jack Burke, spokesman for Canadian National, said last week that eliminating the pulp wood shipments coming from Grenada to supply the Natchez plant could have a major impact on those lines. He said today’s session would be strictly informational, and no decisions have yet been reached.
The 2:30 p.m. meeting will be held in the Ways and Means Room on the second floor of the State Capitol.