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Energy Solutions negotiating sale of Oak Ridge rail line to Watco; $5.4M bridge grant status unclear

Oak Ridge City Council · January 12, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Gordon Fee, chairman of the Oak Ridge Heritage Railroad Authority, told City Council that Energy Solutions is negotiating a sale of the public rail line operating at K‑25 to Watco Holdings LLC and that a previously announced $5.4 million federal/state bridge grant remains uncertain amid federal delays.

Gordon Fee, chairman of the Oak Ridge Heritage Railroad Authority, updated the council on the authority’s operations and said Energy Solutions is in final-stage negotiations to sell the Oak Ridge short-line to Watco Holdings LLC, a private short-line operator. Fee said Watco hopes to close in February but that no final decision has been made and that many regulatory and public‑process approvals remain.

Why it matters: The authority reported roughly 130 rail cars a year in traffic—largely serving two customers—and is positioned to accept federal…

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