The city of Lee’s Summit is finding out how hard it is to stop a speeding locomotive. A recent court decision cleared the way to re-opening the old Rock Island line, which has been vacant since 1979. Lee’s Summit city attorney Joanne Graham says the tracks are covered with brush and many nearby homeowners were sure they’d never be used again. But track owners never gave up legal right-of-way, so trains may start rolling again. Graham says the city has proposed an alternate route, but the rail line has shown little interest.
