Oklahoma DOT accepts four bids for Sooner Sub rail line sale

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) has accepted four bids for the purchase of the Sooner Sub rail line between Sapulpa and Del City, Okla., ODOT officials announced yesterday.

An evaluation committee is now reviewing the bids to determine whether to accept one and sell the line, ODOT officials said in a press release.

ODOT began accepting proposals for a potential sale of the Sooner Sub line in November 2013. In 2012, several private rail companies expressed an interest in purchasing the line.

Since ODOT agreed to explore a sale, "there has been more attention than ever before focused on passenger-rail service in that corridor," ODOT officials said.

The department is continuing to identify viable passenger service options between the state's two largest cities under a federally funded study expected to be completed in 2015. That study includes the existing Sooner Sub line as well as other possible routes in the corridor, checking for feasibility, public support and cost analysis for each potential option.

A potential sale of the Sooner Sub line would not cancel the study, ODOT officials said.