A 144-mile stretch of a former railroad line is expected to be transferred to the state of Missouri by the end of next year for use as a hiking and biking trail.
Gov. Jay Nixon was at Ameren headquarters in St. Louis Wednesday to announce details of plans to develop the former Rock Island rail line from Windsor, in western Missouri, to Beaufort, about 60 miles southwest of St. Louis.
Nixon says the new trail will strengthen economies along its path and bolster the state's image as a leading hiking and biking destination.
Ameren purchased the rail line in 1999. It has not been used for railroad purposes for more than two decades.
