Clive, Des Moines, Grimes, Urbandale, West Des Moines and Windsor Heights plan to petition the federal government to turn what may soon be a more than 12-mile stretch of abandoned railroad into a new recreational trail.
Norfolk Southern Railway Co. plans to file notice with the federal Surface Transportation Board to abandon a 12.2-mile section of track that runs through the cities, according to a letter from the railroad to the City of Urbandale.
The letter stated the company intended to file on or about Feb. 20.
The Des Moines Register's search of federal filings on Tuesday, March 10 did not immediately find such a document. But the cities along the stretch of track known as the "Grimes Line" have been working with the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, which could represent their collective interests in the rail corridor before the federal government.