Protests of railroad abandonment rarely succeed. But congressional leaders back the call for a moratorium, and the federal government is expected to take the request seriously.
The group, under the leadership of the Kansas Rural Development Council, pledged to look for answers to the rail problems while such a moratorium is in place.
Representatives of Kansas' congressional delegation have agreed to support the group's resolution to the transportation board, which must approve any proposed railroad abandonment.
The unanimous show of support from state's congressional delegation ensures that the board will seriously consider the request for a moratorium on rail abandonment, said Mel Thompson, aide to Sen. Pat Roberts.
The request will cite economic, environmental and quality of life impacts from rail abandonment as reasons for the moratorium.
John Barnes, chairman of the Kansas Rural Development Commission, said the state's case for stopping rail abandonment is a strong one.
However, John Rossiker of the Kansas Department of Transportation warned the group that only once in 20 years has a protest of an abandonment been successful.
"We have hard data supporting the damage to our counties from lost rails," Barnes said. "It's been documented and reported in the newspaper. And it is being experienced by many of our county governments and county residents."
The abandonment of rail lines in Kansas over the past 20 years has led to an increase in the use of trucks for hauling grain and other cargo. The increased truck traffic has created huge financial problems for rural counties trying to find the money to maintain and repair roads damaged by the trucks.
Along with the moratorium request, the group has pledged to use the time to establish a port authority to either purchase abandoned rail lines or develop other options to keep them operational.
The group says it will work with the state Legislature to draft a Kansas railroad policy that addresses issues such as access to capital funds, maintenance of rail lines and a system of advocacy for railcar supply. In its resolution, the group will also call on the state to financially support counties whose road sand bridges have been damaged or destroyed in the wake of lost rail service.
Sen. Ben Vidrickson, R-Salina, who presided at the meeting, is stepping down from the Legislature this year after 31 years of service, the last dozen as chairman of the Senate Transportation and Tourism Committee.
"Your action today has made me have second thoughts about not running again," he said. "I'd like to be in on this fight. What I can do and will do is be sure that groups who ought to be represented hear about this. And I'll be happy to meet with you again and try to help."
Groups solicited for support of the resolution include the League of Municipalities, the Association of County Governments, the Farm Bureau, the Farmers Union, the Kansas Feed and Grain Association, Kansas State University, the transportation lobby Economic Lifelines, county economic development commissions, local chambers of commerce, rural electric power cooperatives and rural telephone cooperatives.
Ron Bagby, marketing director for the Central Kansas Railway, said that he is unsure how his parent company, OmniTrax, a Denver corporation, will react to the prospect of a moratorium on abandonment.
The Central Kansas Railway, or CKRY, has stated its intent to abandon 255 miles of track in Kansas, some of which has not had service for three years and would be subject to immediate scrapping. He said OmniTrax has faced strong abandonment protests in the past in Texas.
"I know that in those cases, we were able to prevail, and the lines were abandoned," he said. "I don't know what will happen here. But I do know that the CRKY will welcome any opportunity to work with a port authority. We believe a port authority is in the best interest of south-central Kansas."
A task force of 12 people representing a cross section of Rural Development Council members have promised to have the final wording of the group's resolution in the hands of the Kansas congressional delegation within the next 30 days.
"I think if it comes down to counties and the state making an investment, it ought to be obvious that it's a good one," said Steve Baccus, who represented both the Farm Bureau and Ottawa County at the meeting. "We have people who know that, and they need to be heard."