The Texas State Railroad Not Closing

PALESTINE – The president for Iowa Pacific Holdings, which owns the Texas State Railroad, says the railroad is not closing. Ed Ellis said the email concerning the closing of the official railroad of Texas, was an unauthorized and incorrect email that had been sent by a terminated employee. According to Ellis, the Texas State Railroad is operating normally, which means there are no excursion trains in January or February. He said train operations will resume in March. In order to manage costs, headcount has been reduced for that period.

Ellis’ comments brought the following response from Nate Smith, Communications and Best Practices Officer, City of Palestine.

“We are very happy to hear that Iowa Pacific is not permanently closing the Texas State Railroad, rather shutting down for maintenance as the railroad normally does. The railroad is normally closed in January and February for track and train maintenance and Iowa Pacific President Ed Ellis has assured us the railroad will run in March.”

“The Texas State Railroad is central to Palestine’s rich history and vital to Palestine’s economy. We will continue to build on the strong relationship we currently enjoy with the Texas State Railroad and the Texas State Railroad Authority.”