The federal Surface Transportation Board  has issued its ruling on the future of the Nickel Plate Rail Line, and rules in favor of Fishers, Noblesville and Hamilton County in their plans to convert the line from rails to trails.

You can read the entire text of the decision at this link.

This will now allow conversion of the Nickel Plate Rail into a pedestrian trail pursuant to the National Trails System Act and the Board’s interim trail use regulations

The City of Fishers, in a news release, says local officials will immediately pursue the conversion of the Nickel Plate line to a trail from 96^th street to 146^th street.

There were a number of comments received by local residents and a “Save the Trail” group organized to preserve the Nickel Plate line for trains, but the board ruled in favor of the local governmental units in their plans using the rail banking process to convert the rail line into a trail, much like the Monon Trail in Carmel.

Fishers announced Wednesday that it is forming a committee to work on plans for the Nickel Plate Trail.  For more on that, use this link.