Chatham-Kent municipal officials say they haven't given up trying to find an operator for the idle WDC Railway.
The line has been dormant since it was purchased from CSX Transportation in 2013.
Chatham-Kent's Chief Legal Officer John Norton says they continue to meet with interested buyers from different parts of North America and beyond, but nothing has panned out yet.
"I don't want to get into specifics about individual offers or discussions," says Norton, "But I can say that we've had to look at the offers, whether we've backed away because it wasn't going to cover the full cost of operations, or whether they just weren't a good fit for the municipality."
He says the search for the right fit depends on finding a purchaser who will keep the line active.
"We're looking for someone who can serve the agricultural and industrial businesses that are along the current line, and as well be available if new businesses want to locate along the line," says Norton. "And we need someone to do it at no cost to the municipality."
At the very least, the municipality wants to break even and make back the $3.6-million doled out to preserve rail service between Chatham, Dresden and Wallaceburg.
As a fallback, Norton says, there's always the option of salvaging the steel track and selling the assets, adding there's value in using the land as a public corridor.
However, preventing the track from being removed was the very reason the municipality purchased the line.
As for deadlines for when it needs to be sold by, there are none.
Though efforts to attract potential economic development have proved unsuccessful so far, Norton says they're confident it will happen.
"We are very actively seeking a purchaser. We have discussions with different groups, probably we get inquiries every other month from someone, on average, who wants to come and look around, and see if they're interested in it," he says. "We continue to talk to different parties."