Owner of Fulton railroad spur seeks to reinstate freight service

Mike Williams, owner of the shortline railroad between Mexico and Fulton, Mo. Says he plans to reopen the line if there is enough interest for rail shipping in the Fulton area. Callaway County Western District Commissioner Doc Kritzer said Williams met with the Callaway County Transit Authority to inform them of his plans for the rail spur. Kritzer said he feared earlier that Williams might want to sell the railroad tracks for scrap instead of restoring the line to service. Fulton, Callaway County and the Fulton Area Development Corporation funded a study of the railroad line two years ago. It concluded it would cost from $3 million to $5 million to conduct renovations. Williams on the other hand said he believes he can restore the line spending between $1 million to $2 million, which he plans to spend his own money if he receives enough assurances from firms wanting to ship freight and raw materials on the line. Williams wants to lower the cost of shipping in order to attract more business volume. He would like potential users to show some interest before investing in restoring the line. "I feel good about this shortline. I believe it can be done," he said.