(The following appeared on the Progressive Railroading website on December 3, 2009.)
Cape Rail Inc. subsidiary Massachusetts Coastal Railroad recently reached agreements with CSX Transportation and the commonwealth of Massachusetts regarding the purchase of CSXT’s operating rights on the New Bedford and Fall River lines, which also are known as the South Coast Lines.
After the rights to the 33 miles of track are transitioned to Mass Coastal on May 14, 2010, the short line will operate about 100 miles of track in southeastern Massachusetts.
“We have committed to CSX and the commonwealth that we will approach the operation of these lines as a team,” said Cape Rail Chief Executive Officer John Kennedy in a prepared statement.
Mass Coastal plans to increase the lines’ traffic; CSXT currently handles about 2,000 cars on the South Coast Lines.