Who really owns the Seymour Branch in Illinois between Champaign and Seymour?
The signals are maintained by CN but it is listed as a NS branch line.
Also does anyone know why the switch from this branch line to the former Wabash was left in even though the tracks were removed years ago?
The signals in Champaign at State Street on the west side are maintained by CN, but the signals on the east side are maintained by NS. But there is only 10 feet of of former Wabash track left east of State Street. This line used to go all the way to Sidney, Illinois but that line was pulled ages ago and is now a spur in Urbana.
If CN is the owner, then they have to use the switch off the Champaign line onto the NS Mansfield Branch, just to reach their own rails.
@JOHN_RICE As far as I’m aware, and Im 90% certain, that the line is owned by CN but used only by the weekly NS Urbana Local (via trackage rights). Not sure why CN wouldn’t just sell it to NS. Also, just for reference, line is abandoned past Plastipac
I guess it depends on contracts agreed on in whenever.
NS probably do not want to buy the line; the upkeep etc. for a weekly journey.
CN possibly have to keep the line open because of a long ago contract with NS.
I think Office got it right. I was consulting a book that I own titled A Railroad Atlas of the United States in 1946. It shows a jointly run set of trackage between Champaign and Seymour. The line was used by the former Illinois Central Railroad (IC) and the Illinois Terminal Railroad (ITC). Today, Canadian National (CN) owns the former IC, and Norfolk Southern (NS) owns the former ITC. So, it would appear that the branch is owned by CN with trackage rights provided to NS.
The line is signaled as far as Staley Road. Then it is crossbucks out to Seymour where it becomes exempt. The tracks are in the weeds out to White Heath.
I did not know ITC had rights on this line but it makes sense as by the end they were mostly a rights operation. I knew they used to go through here and that NW (now NS) bought them in 1980.
It is just funny how in that one crossing in Champaign there is about 50 yards of official NS labeled track with a signal, but it ends abruptly 10 yards past the signal.
It appears that NS pulled up the tracks the rest of the way a few years ago, but there is a stack of replacement sections stacked in the grass nearby. So I guess NS pulls up into the CN yard north of town and then backs in and out of the Seymour Line customers.
Someone told me ages ago and I don’t know if it is accurate in that the Monticello Railroad Museum wants to (someday) run their Polar Express trains all the way into Champaign and back using that same line. I guess if the rails stay in the weeds then anything is possible.