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Northern First Nations hope to buy Manitoba port and rail line

Omnitrax Canada put the port and railway up for sale in 2015, after low grain shipments and high operating costs put a strain on the business. Global News / File

WINNIPEG — A group of First Nations in northern Manitoba are set to announce their intent to purchase the Hudson Bay Railway and Port of Churchill Friday morning.

The announcement comes more than a month after Denver-based OmniTrax decided to put the port and railway up for sale, saying low grain shipments and high operating costs put a strain on the operation.

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In December, OmniTrax said it accepted a letter of intent from a First Nation interested in buying the Port of Churchill and the Hudson Bay rail line.

READ MORE: Troubled OmniTrax rail line and port in Manitoba may be sold

The purchasing announcement is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday.

OmniTrax took over the Port of Churchill and the Hudson Bay rail line in 1997. The line is the only land link to Churchill and three other communities from the south. The port is Canada’s only deep-water northern port and relies heavily on grain shipments from western farmers.

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