(The Associated Press distributed the following article on August 15.)
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — CSX Transportation has received nine bids for 530 miles of railroad track, mostly in West Virginia.
The line from Cumberland, Md., to Brooklyn Junction, just south of New Martinsville, is up for sale or lease by CSX. The bidding deadline was Thursday.
CSX spokesman Gary Sease has said smaller companies may be able to make the stretch of track more profitable.
The rail company hopes to have the bids evaluated by mid-September before the finalists are selected for further evaluation, said CSX spokeswoman Jane Covington.
It’s possible that none of the bids will be accepted, at which point CSX would continue to operate the railroad, she said.
About 250 CSX employees in the area may be affected by the lease or sale, Sease said.