UDATED (WCBI)--  Montgomery, Grenada, Carroll, Yalobusha, and three other counties are gearing up to fight another attempt to close a major rail line serving their communities. The counties Wednesday officially created the North Mississippi Regional Rail Authority in response to an expected second attempt by Grenada Railway to abandon 83 miles of track between Grenada and Canton.

The railroad withdrew a similar effort last year in the wake of opposition from the counties and the state.But the company has said it likely will try again this month unless it can sell the track for 22 million dollars.The new rail authority will fight closure efforts because of the economic impact it would have in communities like Grenada, Water Valley and Winona.