Loss of Rail Line - Means Loss of Competition          10/01/00-DepotNews
	From Pueblo Colorado, through middle of Kansas - Geneseo, Linsburg, McPherson, Salina to Kansas City -was an alternative for shippers.  The east-west corridor was part of the Missouri Pacific.  With the purchase by Union Pacific, this alternative to shippers was 'wiped out.' The CKR, posing as a shortline, stepped in for a short few years, and assumed trackage rights. The CKR wants to abandon this line, and of course Union Pacific is all for it.  Why?  Well since Union Pacific is now using the former Rock Island mainline - from Pratt -Liberal- on to New Mexico - it has little use for the line.
The line could prove to be a boon to a smaller operate - much in the same manner as Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Corporation's (DM&E) - and the Powder River Basin.  The only difference being, that there is no need to build new lines - just use the existing ones. Harmful to Public Interest Abandonment of the line would be very harmful to the public interest.  The Geneseo-Linsborg segment is part of a main line route of the former Missouri Pacific Railroad between Kansas City and Pueblo Colorado.  Together with rail lines of the former Denver & Rio Grande Western and the former Western Pacific west of Pueblo, the MoPac route was part of a competitive route for the Central Corridor transcontinental traffic. Union Pacific's acquisition of all of those carriers, plus Southern Pacific, has eliminated many competitors for the Central Corridor transcontinental traffic. However, for the most part, the trackage constituting those routes are in place.  An exception are the former MoPac lines east of Lindsborg to Kansas City, which have been abandon and removed.  However it is possible to route Central Corridor transcontinental traffic over the Union Pacific via trackage rights north from Lindsborg to Salina - then east.  This will not be possible if the line is abandon and removed. Where is the STB? In other articles (click here), the STB has tried to find other interested parties to purchase the lines.  Will the STB do so here?