NORFOLK, Neb. -- The Nebraska Central Railroad Co. may file to abandon 44 miles of track between Genoa and Spalding because of the high cost to repair a damaged bridge over the Cedar River, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

A public notice indicates that an abandonment application could be filed for the Cedar River branch within three years. The track passes through Boone, Nance and Greeley Counties.

No rail traffic has been allowed on the line since an ice jam March 14 outside of Fullerton caused the bridge problems, said the railroad's president, Richard Bertel.

Shipping there doesn't generate enough revenue to justify the expected $1 million cost to fix the bridge, he said.

"The amount of money would exceed total annual revenue of that line by a factor of two or three," Bertel said.

That leaves the railroad the option of adding a surcharge to pay for the repair or seeking abandonment, he said.

Since the bridge was last repaired after a washout several years ago, many shippers started using trucks instead of the railroad, Bertel said.

Six carloads of grain moved on the line in October, compared with 1,200 for the same month eight years ago when the railroad began operations.

Norfolk-based Nebraska Central is a subsidiary of Rio Grande Pacific Corp. It operates on 272 miles of track in Nebraska, much of it leased from the Union Pacific Railroad.