Feds could owe Indianapolis residents on west side for proposed rail-to-trail conversion

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11-02-2025

A city proposal to convert an abandoned CSX line on the west side to a recreational trial could bring a federal payday to owners of property adjacent to the old rail easement.
Lawyers from Missouri-based Lewis Rice filed a suit in January in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims contending the federal government owes landowners for property along a 1.8-mile former CSX railroad.
CSX abandoned the rail line that runs parallel to Kentucky Avenue between South Harding and West Raymond streets, according to documents the company filed with the Surface Transportation Board in October. Trains that once ran along the line have been rerouted and the rails haven't been used for more than two years.
The City of Indianapolis in December requested to convert the entire abandoned rail line to a recreational trail, according to federal documents, and CSX agreed to negotiate an agreement with the city. The transportation board has given the pair a year to come up with an agreement.
Lindsay Brinton, an attorney with Lewis Rice's Federal Takings and Rails to Trails practice, said once the tracks are no longer in use, adjacent landowners can declare ownership of the property previously used by CSX.
The conversion from a rail line to recreational trail creates a new easement on the property, which means the federal government owes affected landowners the value of any land taken for the trail.
Central Indiana residents similarly affected by the Nickel Plate Trail conversion were awarded money last year for their property rights.
More: Work begins on $11M pedestrian bridge project linking Monon, Nickel Plate trails
Indiana has converted 580 miles of former rail lines into recreational trails with the potential to convert another 342 miles, according to the Rails to Trails Conservancy. The Monon, which runs about 27 miles through Marion and Hamilton counties, was previously one of the early railways that helped Indianapolis grow into the city it is today.
One of the longest stretches of these rail conversions will combine nine trails and connect Richmond in the east to the Chicago metro area when complete. It will be part of the Great American Rail-Trail that runs from Pennsylvania to Washington state.
Repurposing the old rail is a form of eminent domain, and there's nothing a landowner can do to stop it, Briton explained.
'This is a valid exercise of the federal government's power," she said, "but landowners have a right to be paid for that taking.'
Two plaintiffs have been named in the suit, but there are about 20 more landowners eligible to file a claim, Brinton said.
Lewis Rice will host a meeting at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Hyatt Place Indianapolis Airport to explain how other landowners can be represented in the suit.
Brinton and her colleagues at Lewis Rice previously worked on similar lawsuits in Indiana and expect the case to take about two years until landowners are paid. Landowners will have to prove they hold a title and valid claim to the property and then prove the government in liable for the taking.
'If landowners want to learn more, come to the meeting or call us,' Brinton said. 'We're happy to talk by phone or Zoom.'
The firm will have paperwork at the Wednesday meeting for anyone who wants to join the suit.
IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at [e-mail]. Follow him on BlueSky @karlstartswithk.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: West side property owners may be due money for rail-to-trail conversion