(The following article by Chip Jones was posted on the Richmond Times-Dispatch website on December 22.)
RICHMOND, Va. — CSX Corp. is in the “very preliminary stages” of considering the possible sale or lease of a 200-mile stretch of track that arcs across Virginia from Doswell to Charlottesville to Clifton Forge, a company spokesman confirmed recently.
“We are studying a short-line sale” of the track, spokesman Dan Murphy said.
In November, CSX hosted a meeting with a group of short-line rail operators at its headquarters in Jacksonville, Fla., he confirmed.
Hot topic
But the railroad spokesman stressed that “no decisions have been made,” and that such discussions over potential sales are commonplace.
This year, CSX sold or leased 300 miles of track out of 24,000 miles of railroad in the eastern United States, Murphy said.
The possible sale of part of CSX’s holdings in Virginia has been a hot topic for rail fans who frequent Internet chat rooms. Speculation mounted after the November meeting.
Murphy said that the railroad might be interested in selling the 200-mile stretch because “CSX has a parallel line that also serves Clifton Forge to the Richmond area.”
The line in question runs across central Virginia through Gordonsville, Charlottesville Waynesboro and Staunton.
Its Charlottesville connection makes it a key part of Amtrak passenger service through the central and western part of the state.
‘Not as profitable’
The rail line dips southwest through Goshen and reaches Clifton Forge near the West Virginia line.
“It’s not as profitable as other CSX track,” Murphy said, declining to say whether or not it was losing money.
No deadline has been set on the deal, he said, which could take the form of a lease or outright sale.
Amtrak’s concerns
Besides the towns and cities along the track, another interested party is Amtrak.
Spokesman Dan Stessel said that, under its contract with CSX, “Amtrak has the right to approve the disposition of any CSX-owned railroad that is currently used” on the regular Amtrak schedule.
If Amtrak has any objection to the sale or lease of the Virginia track, he said, “There has to be good reason” for the federally subsidized railroad to try to block the sale.