The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has denied the Great Redwood Trail Agency’s (GRTA) request to abandon a 40-mile Mendocino Railway (MRY) line, keeping it in the interstate network. The ruling counters pro-trail trends. The board cited MRY’s restoration potential, including a $31.4 million federal loan, over $30 million invested, and a 400 annual carload deal, determining future freight use outweighs trail conversion.