24 December 2005

 

 

 

Surface Transportation Board

Office of the Director of Proceedings

Washington, D.C.

 

 

Re: Docket Number  AB 33 229 X

 

Proposed Abandonment of Union Pacific Railroad\'s \"Waxahachie
Industrial Lead\"

 

 

 

To all concerned parties:

 

I feel it would be in the best interest of both the City of
Waxahachie and Ellis County, Texas -- as

well as the entire State -- for the S.T.B. to review the proposed
abandonment of the Union Pacific

line currently known as the \"Waxahachie Industrial Lead,\" extending
from milepost 798.03 in the

city limits of Waxahachie to milepost 802.66 (within the Nena community
area).

 

This route is the last vestige of the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas
(\"Katy\") Railroad\'s main line

which ran compass south/southwest from Waxahachie to Hillsboro and
served to connect the

Dallas area with the M-K-T main via Fort Worth.  The line was severed
once the Union Pacific

purchased the Katy\'s property.  This action (among other
things) effectively eliminated the

possibility of near-term, cost effective intercity passenger train
service routed directly between

Dallas and San Antonio.  Regrettably, it was apparent that the Texas
Department of Transportation

was not interested in working to stop the line\'s destruction, nor was
anything done to secure the

property for future use.  The line\'s abandonment caused the
right-of-way to be lost south of Nena

through the towns of Forreston, Italy and Milford.

 

Historically, Waxahachie served as an important junction point for
various railroad operations

south out of Dallas.  The M-K-T, as previously noted, passed through
town en route to Austin

and San Antonio.  In addition, passenger and freight trains along the
Burlington-Rock Island

Joint Texas Division (nee Trinity and Brazos Valley) to Houston and
Galveston called upon

Waxahachie, by way of Katy trackage rights between that city and
Dallas.  Although this specific

operational routine would no longer be possible, a similar scenario
might be an option for

tomorrow\'s travelers -- [if]{.underline} certain steps are taken today.

Page 1 of 3

The North Central Texas Council of Governments has already identified
the need for a

Dallas -- Waxahachie commuter (\"regional\") passenger train service and
has added that line

to its planning maps.  The existing U.S. D.O.T. South Central High Speed
Rail Corridor project

calls for improved passenger operations along three lines emanating
from the Dallas / Fort Worth

Metropolitan Area, including a route between \"Dallas / Fort Worth\"
(however that general location

is eventually defined) and San Antonio via Austin.  The expansion of the
South Central Corridor

project to include a new Dallas -- Houston alignment is in the
discussion stage and would

certainly be a logical addition to the initiative.

These three proposals -- Dallas / Waxahachie, Dallas / San Antonio and
Dallas / Houston --

have the theoretical ability to work in tandem to serve cities along the
so-called \"Texas Triangle,\"

while continuing to function efficiently within their
respective markets.

 

It would be wonderful if Waxahachie was once again a vital junction
point for

passenger train services operating between Dallas, Houston and San
Antonio! The

preservation of the line segment in question -- or at least its
right-of-way -- may be the

key ingredient necessary in order for that possibility to come true. 
When non-commutation

intercity passenger trains are reestablished from Dallas to Waxahachie,
those runs could

continue on the existing BNSF route toward Teague, thence to the Gulf
coast. At the same

time, trains could also diverge onto UP\'s Waxahachie Industrial
Lead, gaining access to the

current UP main line to Waco via Hillsboro, through a shared Interstate
35E corridor or

some other alignment (perhaps identified by TXDOT\'s Trans-Texas
Corridor project).

 

No matter how our 21st Century passenger railroads might be routed when
heading

cross-country, they will still need access to the city centres.  Without
this specific line

segment in place, corridor options due south of Waxahachie will be
severely restricted.

Passenger transportation planners may find their field of possibilities
so compromised

through the loss of this particular piece of trackage that it will
be impractical to include

Waxahachie on any Dallas -- San Antonio railway map, at any cost.

 

I am not proposing that the Union Pacific be required to underwrite a
passenger train network

which has not yet even been formally identified, much less one in which
they would not find

themselves direct participants!  What I am proposing, however, is a
short period of additional time

to get various agencies -- such as the North Central Texas C.O.G.,
the Texas D.O.T., Ellis County

and the City of Waxahachie, and others -- involved in a discussion of
this matter from the above

outlined perspective, and do what is necessary to secure the land for
future development.

 

We may not be talking about a traditional rail banking initiative or
rails-to-trails proposal; but, this

is nothing less important.  In fact, considering the health and welfare
of the entire north central

Texas region for generations to come, this small matter may end up
being vital in a way far

greater than its diminutive size and scope might indicate.

 

Page 2 of 3

I stand ready to assist in any way possible.  If
this board has questions concerning any of my

comments, I am always eager to discuss them.

 

Thank you very much.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

 

Garl Boyd Latham

 

 

P O Box 50605

Dallas, Texas  75250-0605

 

972-252-1726

214-826-5726

 

<gblatham@aol.com>

 

 

 

GBL/s

 

 

 

copy:

 

Mr. Mac H. Shumate, Jr.

Union Pacific Railroad

 

Hon. Jay Barksdale

Mayor, City of Waxahachie

 

Mr. Michael Morris

North Central Texas Council of Governments

 

Mr. Mario Medina

Texas Department of Transportation