The 10.3-mile section would be removed from service, but not abandoned entirely.
Canadian National spokesman Patrick Waldron says unlike abandonment, discontinuance removes a common carrier obligation. In other words, the rail line and right-of-way would remain, but the railroad would not be operating on the track segment.
Waldron says there has not been a rail customer or shipment across the segment since 2012. If the discontinuance is approved, the railroad would still be able to restore rail service if economic circumstances warranted its return.
For now, the first step in issuing a discontinuance will be for CN to file a public notice and then submit its paperwork to the Surface Transportation Board for approval.
Local residents, including Manawa Mayor John Smith, would rather see the rail line abandoned altogether.
Smith believes the removal of the rail line would open up new commercial opportunities in town and would allow other projects to move forward.
The route in question is part of the former 250-mile Green Bay & Western main line between Green Bay and Winona. It was absorbed into the Wisconsin Central in 1993 and later became part of the Canadian National network.
