Marseilles reaches agreement with CSX to maintain property along rail line

The Marseilles City Council reached a land lease agreement with CSX Transportation and now will maintain the area near the property line.

According to Marseilles Mayor Jim Hollenbeck, the agreement will have the city trim weeds and maintain the area next to the CSX track from First to Chicago streets.

The agreement supersedes the agreement between the two bodies signed in 1931, where the city maintained the area from Aurora to Chicago streets.

Marseilles workers will be allowed to cut weeds on Main Street and maintain the drainage ditch along Pacific Street, which may be opened up for increased use. Crews will not be allowed, however, to dredge any part of the property without CSX present for fear of making the bank beneath the tracks unstable.

City workers also are required to take an online training class of do’s and don’ts of workin around the tracks, much like that of CSX employees.

“In that stretch, there’s an area where people have gardens, have planted grass seed and mow it, even though it’s CSX property,” Hollenbeck said. “Technically, the agreement takes effect (Wednesday) because they’ve already signed it, so I’ll sign it and send it back to them and it will be fully in place.”