Missouri bill would map abandoned railroad centerlines so landowners can determine title

Representative Mark Nolte (R-District 51) told the Missouri House Agriculture Committee that House Bill 2280 would require the State Land Surveyor's office to reconstruct the geometry of formally abandoned railroad rights-of-way and publish that information in state plane coordinates so adjoining landowners can determine centerline ownership.

Nolte opened the public hearing by placing the measure in historical context, noting Missouri once had more than 8,000 miles of rail at the 1920 peak and now has roughly 4,100 miles, and said many tracks have been abandoned and reclaimed by adjoining landowners. "This bill would assign a responsibility to determine where the center line of that right away is so that anyone that abuts a right away has the ability to know what their ownership limits are," Nolte said.

The bill, which Nolte said is similar to one heard last year, would house a public portal in the State Land Surveyor's office (within the Department of Agriculture) that would allow surveyors to query reconstructed valuation and station maps converted to state plane coordinates. Nolte said the office could contract with private surveyors or engineers to do the work; he told the committee he plans to offer a House Committee substitute to clarify how the geometry would be derived.

Committee members asked several procedural and legal questions. Representative Whaley asked about the bill's sunset; Nolte said he included a 20-year sunset date ("12/31/2046") to reduce the fiscal note compared with the prior year's bill. Nolte also said only the federal Surface Transportation Board can formally abandon a railroad right-of-way, distinguishing abandonment from merely being "out of service."

In public testimony Bill Gamble, speaking for the Missouri Railroad Association, said the association had taken the hearing as informational and expressed concerns about publishing historical railroad geometry. Gamble said abandoned lines are now relatively uncommon and described complications including proprietary records, industrial brownfields, and potential liability exposure if historical ownership or centerline data were made public. "We're a little concerned with any type of exposure we might have," Gamble said, and warned that the association would need to review what data would be released and how to "scrub" proprietary material.

Gamble also emphasized Missouri's current rail operations and safety role, noting the state's importance as a rail hub; several members discussed rail-banking and the Katy Trail as an example where trail interests superseded other claims at abandonment.

No committee vote was taken during the hearing; Chairman Justice concluded testimony and adjourned the Agriculture Committee. Nolte indicated he will return a committee substitute to address technical and implementation questions raised by members and witnesses.

Provenance: The committee hearing record shows Nolte's introduction of House Bill 2280, questions from members about sunset and abandonment, and Bill Gamble's testimony on proprietary and liability concerns; the hearing concluded without a vote and the committee was adjourned.