The Town of Gloster, Miss. (the Town), a noncarrier municipal corporation, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire from Gloster Southern Railroad Company, LLC (GLSR), approximately 32.7 miles of rail line between milepost 0.0 at Slaughter, La., and milepost 32.7 at Gloster, Miss. (the Line).

According to the verified notice, the Town is finalizing terms of an agreement to purchase the Line from GLSR with a view to restoring service on it. Common carrier service has been suspended on the Line since 2010.^[1] According to the verified notice, the Line will need extensive rehabilitation to return to a condition to once again support railroad traffic. The Town states that it plans to restore rail service in order to establish a transportation link for the region's forest products industry, and specifically to meet the logistical needs of a sawmill that began operating in 2024.^[2] According to the Town, restoration of the Line will be supported by a $52 million grant awarded through the Federal Railroad Administration's Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program.

The Town certifies that its projected annual revenues as a result of this transaction are not expected to exceed $5 million and will not exceed the thresholds of a Class I or Class II rail carrier. The Town also certifies that the agreement governing the transaction does not contain an interchange commitment.

The transaction may be consummated on or after August 21, 2026, the effective date of the exemption. If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed at any time. The filing of a petition to revoke will not automatically stay the effectiveness of the exemption. Petitions for stay must be filed no later than August 14, 2026 (at least seven days before the exemption becomes effective).

All pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD 36947, must be filed with the Surface Transportation Board either via e-filing on the Board's website or in writing addressed to 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423-0001. In addition, a copy of each pleading must be served on Gloster's representative, Stephen J. Foland, Fletcher & Sippel LLC, 29 North Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606-3208.

According to the Town, this action is categorically excluded from environmental review under 49 CFR 1105.6(c) and from historic preservation reporting requirements under 49 CFR 1105.8(b).

Board decisions and notices are available at www.stb.gov.