The international competition to redesign Manhattan's abandoned "Highline" rail is heating up.

The Surface Transportation Board is expected to hold a hearing Thursday to gather public opinions on what should be done with the abandoned rail line.

The 70-year-old elevated freight train tracks run along the west side from 34th Street to the Meat Packing District. The privately owned railway, rusted and overgrown with weeds, hasn't been used in 25 years.

The City Council has allocated $$16 million to the project.

Today's hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Federal Conference Center in the Jacob Javits Federal Building.