(The Canadian Press circulated the following article on May 26.)
REGINA — Canadian Pacific Railway is selling three short branch lines in southern Saskatchewan where traffic has been very light over the past three years, the railway said Monday.
CPR (TSX:CP) said it is seeking expressions of interest in three branch railway lines: 41 kilometres of the Arcola line between Redvers and Carlyle, Sask.; 19.2 kilometres of the Burstall line between Fox Valley and Ingebright, Sask.; and 3.5 kilometres of the Rocanville line near Rocanville, Sask. “These lines have seen little or no traffic in the past three years as grain elevators and a mine at Ingebright either closed or stopped shipping by rail,” the company said.
Interested parties must submit bids by July 31. If no deal is reached within six months, CPR will offer to sell the lines to the province or municipal governments, who will have 30 days to consider an offer. If no deal is reached, CPR may discontinue operating these lines.
The railway said these lines were candidates to be discontinued as part of its three-year network plan outlined in August 2001. CPR said it continues to evaluate its branch lines because of major changes in the grain handling system.
CPR’s 22,500-kilometre network serves the main centres of Canada, from Montreal to Vancouver, and the U.S. Northeast and Midwest regions.