Farmington, N.M. • The Navajo Nation and New Mexico’s San Juan County have entered into an agreement to pursue a freight railroad to serve the Four Corners area.

Thursday’s agreement means cooperation between both governments to pave the way for rail service and the improvement of the local economy.

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer plus San Juan County Commission Chairman Jack Fortner all signed the document to move forward with planning for the possibility of a privately owned freight railroad.

Over the last few decades, there have been several feasibility studies to examine proposed alignments of freight rail service to Four Corners. The Four Corners consists of the southwestern corner of Colorado, the southeastern corner of Utah, the northeastern corner of Arizona and northwestern corner of New Mexico.

The rail system would be a short line intended to carry freight from the area of San Juan County, south through the Navajo Nation and to the established Interstate 40 corridor railroad.