City, railroad to share dinner-train siding cost

By Rachel Bryant
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications

Just a few years ago Main Street was beautifully reconstructed to give downtown Midway a modern but historic look. Now the RJ Corman Railroad Group wants to add a sidetrack to the railroad in the heart of downtown, meaning that some of the recent construction would be have to be taken apart and redone with the new addition.

The sidetrack would allow a dinner train to run from Lexington to Midway, with hope that it would create more business.

According to Diana Queen, a Midway City Council member, the council cannot approve or disapprove the project because the railroad owns the land along the tracks, giving Corman the right to do as it pleases with the land. However, Queen says that the council and railroad group are working together as a team on the project.

Midway and RJ Corman will share the cost, Council Member Sharon Turner said. Mayor Tom Bozarth said the cost has not been calculated. Turner said they hope to have the train running by the start of next spring’s meet at Keeneland Race Course.