North Judson’s short line railroad has attracted offers from three companies. The proposals were opened during a redevelopment commission meeting Monday.
The highest bid came from Midwest & Bluegrass Rail. It offered $2,725,000 for the entire 33-mile railroad corridor. Midwest & Bluegrass already operates the line, having purchased the Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad last year. The company also has a good working relationship with the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum, according to its president, Todd Flanigan.
The other two proposals were just for the section in LaPorte and Porter counties that’s typically used for freight traffic, not the portion east of English Lake currently used by the museum. Co-Alliance offered the town $2.3 million, while Columbia Rail offered just over $1.6 million.
The redevelopment commission will consider the proposals during a closed executive session next Monday. They’ll officially make their decision in a special meeting to be scheduled sometime after that.
In addition to the price, town officials can also look at the companies’ future plans for the railroad, how they’ve operated railroads in the past, and any existing relationships with entities involved with the railroad corridor, among other items outlined in the request for proposals.
