Grenada Railroad celebrates revival of its entire Memphis-Canton, Miss., route

GRENADA, Miss. — After more than nine years of repairs and upgrades and millions of dollars in federal, state, and private investment, community leaders gathered Tuesday, Aug. 29, to celebrate the return of the 235-mile Grenada Railroad line that runs north and south along the I-55 corridor between Memphis and Canton, Miss.

Now owned by Gulf & Atlantic Railways, the Grenada rail line was near abandonment in 2014 when 90 miles of railroad track between Grenada and Canton fell into disrepair. State and local officials stepped in to save the railroad and federal officials provided grants, including a FASTLANE grant in 2017 and a Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grant from the Federal Railroad Administration in 2020, to help fund the project.

“For over a decade, we have worked to restore this crucial rail link through our state. Today, we celebrated all of our efforts making an impact,” said Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss. “This project represents growth and a better economic future for Mississippi, and I am delighted to have been a part of the process.”

“I want to thank the team effort that it took from the local, state and federal levels to make this impactful project possible,” said Brad White, Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation. “At MDOT, we recognize the importance of having a strong multimodal transportation network in the state, and rail is certainly a huge part of that. I’m excited to see the positive economic impact that the rehab and upgrades to the Grenada rail line will make in Mississippi.”

Speaking on behalf of Gulf & Atlantic Railways, CEO Ryan Ratledge said, “We are proud to have played a role in the restoration of this important transportation infrastructure that will bring economic opportunities for North Central Mississippi for years to come.”