It seems there is a potential buyer for the Drumheller and Oyen subs:
Quote:
Dwayne Marshman, the interim president of The Badlands Railway, says that
farmers, businesses and investors alike are being given a rare opportunity
to purchase, operate and run a short line railroad. The Badlands Railway and
Palliser Regional Municipal services want to purchase the 290 kilometre rail
line from Oyen to Lyalta, AB, which is being abandoned by CN. They just need
to raise enough money for the purchase. The Badlands Railway has been
holding community meetings to explain how the railway would work in an
effort to raise more funds. Marsham and his group are looking to purchase
the line from Lyatla to Hanna, a 176 km stretch, for $4.4 million and
lease-to-own the other portion of the line all the way to Oyen. The best
thing to do would be to purchase the whole line, Marshman said.
Unfortunately he doesn't believe they can get the funds together to buy the
whole line at once. To do that it would cost them between $10 and $14M. All
these numbers are tentative and will be finalized during negotiations with
CN. The group must put together a formal proposal to CN by Feb. 15 or risk
losing the rail line. Palliser and The Badlands Railway are hoping to go
into the meetings with a $250,000 deposit and lots of shareholders behind
them.
(Strathmore Standard AB 100126)
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If this deal goes through it may or may not have an effect on how CN disposes of Sarcee Yard. It's not that the Badlands Railway will generate that many carloads but though CN will keep Calgary to Lyalta , it may grant Badlands trackage rights into Sarcee Yard and do the interchange (switch out Badlands locos) there.