The remains of the Rock Island Railroad line skirt along the eastern edge of town. The tracks are barely visible, overgrown with trees, grass and weeds in many places. Where the line crosses state Route 52, the tracks have been removed and the rail bed paved over.
City leaders are negotiating a proposed lease agreement with the line's owner, Missouri Central Railroad Co., for use of about one mile of the dormant line as a public-use trail connecting the Katy Trail to the city's Farrington Park. The railroad is a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Ameren Corp. . . .
Susan Gallagher, an Ameren spokeswoman, said that the negotiations with the Windsor chamber were "in their early stages."
"To be frank, we have some fairly stringent requirements we have to impose on any agreement," Ms. Gallagher said.
The company's main concerns are safety and liability, she said.
"We have so far not entered into any public use agreements regarding any part of the line. We would be willing to consider trails that co-exist with the line and doesn't replace it or cross it," Ms. Gallagher said.
Ms. Gallagher said that the company plans to reactivate the line for freight use and has already reactivated a portion of the line that runs from Union to St. Louis.
"We have no intention of abandoning the line," Ms. Gallagher said.
The connection from the Katy Trail to Kansas City could also be made along the Rock Island line and the state of Missouri is in negotiations with Ameren for that purpose.
