A South Carolina company is trying to purchase the railroad line that runs through Rio Grande County. In filings with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, Hayduk International LLC is seeking to make a financial offer to purchase nearly 27 miles of track line from Colorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad between milepost 272.75 to milepost 299.3 through Rio Grande County.
It’s the same section of line that Colorado Pacific and SLV GO! once imagined for a rail-to-trail conversion until the railroad eventually backed away from that concept.
The Surface Transportation Board had signed off on a filing by Colorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad to abandon those sections of track. The railroad said the single track with approximately five bridges and six culverts along it has not been used for rail service since 2007 and has had no local traffic the past two years.
Rather than abandon the track lines, Hayduk International says it wants to keep moving freight through Rio Grande County and has a letter of support from Rio Grande County Commissioners to keep the railroad line that runs from Monte Vista to near South Fork alive.
“We believe the portion of rail line proposed for abandonment has economic potential and we would seek a commitment from any new owner to maintain an operating rail link for a minimum of 10 years with no storage of rail cars on any portion of the line at any time,” Rio Grande Commissioners wrote in a letter of support.
The nearly 27-mile long line through Rio Grande County was originally constructed by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway Company (D&RG) in 1881, part of a longer segment from Alamosa to South Fork, according to Surface Transportation Board filings. At the time of construction, the railroad line was Narrow Gauge. From 1921 through 1996, the line was part of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Company, which then merged with Union Pacific Railroad in 1996.
Colorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad acquired the section of track as part of its full bankruptcy court purchase of the San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad in 2022. Colorado Pacific filed its intent to abandon the portion of track through Rio Grande County back in February. The Surface Transportation Board was set to approve the abandonment request when Hayduk International filed a notice of intent to purchase the line on Aug. 29.
Hayduk was given until Oct. 2 to file its plan to acquire the line through Rio Grande County. However, the federal government shutdown has the Surface Transportation Board and other federal agencies locked out and not conducting business until the impasse over federal funding ends.
Michael Hayduk said the company is prepared to file an offer of financial assistance to purchase the Rio Grande County section once the federal government and the Surface Transportation Board reopen.
“We want to restore the line for freight service as well as preserve the connection between the Denver and Rio Grande Historical Foundation (who is a common carrier) and the national rail network,” Hayduk said in an email message to Alamosa Citizen.
Building materials, propane, feed and fertilizer are the type of freight that could be handled through a Rio Grande County operation, according to Hayduk in a presentation he made in September to the county commissioners.