WINDSOR HEIGHTS, Iowa —
A planned reconstruction of 73rd Street in Windsor Heights could now include a shared-use trail built along a railroad corridor that is in the process of being abandoned.
The Windsor Heights City Council on Monday night directed staff to continue preliminary design work using the trail concept as its preferred option.
The idea emerged after Norfolk Southern Railway and Iowa Interstate Railroad filed earlier this year to abandon and discontinue service on roughly 12.2 miles of the Grimes Line between Des Moines and Grimes. The corridor passes through Des Moines, West Des Moines, Windsor Heights, Clive, Urbandale and Grimes. Norfolk Southern owns the right-of-way, while Iowa Interstate has leased and operated the line since 1995.
“There’s always been a vision, a dream,” Windsor Heights City Councilwoman Theresa Harms said during Monday’s meeting. “I think we’ve talked about this many times about how we’d love to see that railroad be transitioned into a trail.”
The city had previously planned to extend a sidewalk along the east side of 73rd Street as part of the Phase 2 reconstruction project of 73rd St. Once the railroad abandonment process began, city staff paused portions of the preliminary design to consider whether the rail corridor could instead accommodate a 10-foot shared-use trail for pedestrians and bicyclists.
City Manager Adam Plagge told council members the trail could provide some of the best pedestrian access along 73rd Street, while also potentially connecting with Clive’s existing trail network.
The trail alternative could also be less expensive. City staff told the council it could save approximately $300,000 compared with the original concept by avoiding some changes to lanes and interstate ramps, although officials stressed those figures are preliminary and could change as design work continues.
The city has already secured $2.7 million in Surface Transportation Block Grant funding for the 73rd Street project and has applied for another $1 million. Construction is currently expected in the 2029-to-2031 timeframe.
Despite the council’s direction, there is not yet an agreement giving Windsor Heights ownership or trail-use rights along the railroad corridor.
The city’s staff report says future ownership, acquisition costs and trail sponsorship arrangements remain uncertain. If the rail property does not become available, the city can return to its original sidewalk design.
Federal regulators have authorized Norfolk Southern to begin the abandonment process effective Aug. 30.
That date does not mean the entire corridor will immediately be fully abandoned. The Surface Transportation Board imposed a 180-day public-use condition beginning Aug. 30 that requires Norfolk Southern to keep the right-of-way intact, including structures such as bridges, trestles and culverts, while possible public uses, like the Windsor Heights project, are considered. Tracks, ties and signal equipment can be removed.
Communities and other trail proponents have until July 31, 2027, to reach an interim trail-use and railbanking agreement. If an agreement is reached, the corridor could be preserved for trail use while remaining available for possible future reactivation as a railroad. If no agreement is reached, Norfolk Southern may fully abandon the line, as long as it follows federal conditions.
Windsor Heights is not acting alone. Cities along the corridor are pursuing the possibility of preserving the former rail route for public trail use as part of a larger regional network.
Rail-to-trail conversions are already common across Iowa. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy lists more than 1,000 miles of rail-trails in the state, spread across more than 100 trails.
The Grimes Line has roots dating back to 1882, when the corridor was part of the St. Louis, Des Moines and Northern Railway. Norfolk Southern’s predecessor eventually acquired the line, and Iowa Interstate began operating it under lease in 1995.
The railroad was still serving three freight customers carrying lumber and steel, according to federal environmental documents. Norfolk Southern reported an average of about 404 carloads per year between 2021 and 2025, with traffic declining during that period.
For rail fan Hot Rod Daugherty, the possible end of rail service is personal.
“It’s just something that’s been here all my life,” Daugherty said. “It’s sad to see it go.”
But the corridor could now take on a different role, connecting pedestrians and bicyclists along 73rd Street and potentially becoming part of a larger trail stretching through several Des Moines metro communities.
For Windsor Heights, the next step is more design work. City staff will refine the costs, coordinate with neighboring communities and continue following the railroad abandonment and trail-negotiation process before any final plan can move forward.
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