COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — The City of Columbus has filed a civil lawsuit against Norfolk Southern Railway, claiming ownership of land the railroad has occupied for decades.
The suit, filed late last week in Muscogee County Superior Court, names Norfolk Southern and seven other railroad companies. The city alleges they are illegally operating on city-owned property.
For more than 30 years, business, political, and civic leaders have pushed to relocate the Norfolk Southern railyard from prime real estate just east of downtown.
"The city wants to sit down with the railroad and just have some discussions... some meaningful discussions about where we go with that property," said Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson.
The property in question consists of two parcels totaling nearly 90 acres in the heart of the city. Columbus officials argue that when the land stopped being used for passenger rail service in 1971, ownership should have reverted to the city.
Here's what the city claims:
"The railroad has acted in bad faith by remaining on CCG's property, been stubbornly litigious by refusing to meet with CCG to discuss the issues underlying this action, and caused CCG unnecessary trouble and expense by leaving CCG with no alternative but to seek recovery of the property through this action."
City leaders say they have repeatedly tried to negotiate with the railroad.
"And that is why the suit was filed, it's pretty clear with the land, there was a claw-back sort of option in there and if it ever stop being used, the land they were using... when the land stopped being used as a depot, we could reclaim it," Henderson said.
The lawsuit seeks both the return of the land and compensation for 50 years of back rent.
"The monetary value of the Railroad's benefit from use and control of the Upper Railyard and the Lower Railyard will be proven by evidence at the trial of this action, and CCG is entitled to recover that monetary value from the Railroad, together with possession of the Upper Railyard and the Lower Railyard."
WRBL News 3's Chuck Williams has followed this story for more than 25 years. Discussions about relocating the railyard began when TSYS had its corporate headquarters in the Depot building.
Columbus City Council held a closed session last Tuesday to discuss the litigation. Henderson confirmed to WRBL that the Norfolk Southern lawsuit was on the agenda.
Read the full complaint from the city below:
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