The Grafton & Upton Railroad Co. is seeking state approval to acquire by eminent domain a 155-acre property in Hopedale to build a rail yard and add track space.
In filings with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, the railroad said it needs the space to build a rail yard and transloading facility, but the owner has been unwilling to sell the vacant, wooded land near Route 140 in Hopedale.
The railroad said it has invested millions of dollars over the last decade to rehabilitate the line, including expanding its Upton rail yard and adding a new facility to receive liquid propane shipments in North Grafton.
Those investments led to a 36.8% increase in rail traffic in 2018.
With further growth anticipated, the railroad said it needs additional yard and track space for transloading operations.
“Without additional property along its right-of-way for such activities, GURR will be unable to keep pace with demand,” the railroad said in a filing.
The property, owned by a trust set up by Charles Morneau of Lincoln, is the only space along the route that will work for the facility, the railroad said.
However, Morneau has been unwilling to sell the parcel despite what the railroad said was a reasonable offer.
The property abuts several residences and businesses along Route 140 to the north and east and the Mendon town line to the west and south. It was last assessed this year for $438,600.
