Badlands Railway Company has its work cut out for it.
The company, made up of Alberta farmers and other local investors looking to buy a rail line in central Alberta, had its first meeting with Canadian National Railway last week.
Badlands president Dwayne Marshman, a farmer from Rockyford, remains optimistic about the eventual outcome.
“We’re not quite on the same page yet but it was fairly productive and we understand where CN’s at,” he said.
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“CN seemed fairly open to working with us to get this done and we left on a positive note.”
Marshman said Badlands will report back to its shareholders on the meeting and determine what changes can be made in the company’s proposal to make it closer to what CN expects.
He declined to go into any detail about what separates the two sides.
”It doesn’t do us any good if we are trying to come to an agreement with CN to be shooting our mouths off to the media,” he said.
CN spokesperson Kelli Svendsen declined to comment, saying the railway does not comment on commercial discussions.
CN announced in December 2009 its intention to abandon and eventually remove 286 kilometres of track running to Lyalta from Oyen, a move that would eliminate rail service over a vast area of central Alberta.
Badlands, which felt losing the rail line would be a huge blow to the area’s economic future, held public meetings to sell shares and raise money to make an offer to purchase.
One potential sticking point in negotiations could be Badland’s desire to purchase the western part of the line from Lyalta and Hanna and obtain a 20-year lease on the western section from Hanna to Oyen.
Marshman said the company is open to what can be agreed to with CN. He expects a followup meeting with CN in the coming weeks.
