The same year, a sludge-hauling contact with the City of Middletown was signed, and in 1992, a large steel operation began providing business to the railroad.
The state awarded the rights to the CCCL, and subsequently the Providence and Worcester Railroad bought the company and began their operations in April 1998.
Connecticut Central president Russel St. John stated the company sold its operations to P&W because the latter had "a lot more resources" to support rebuilding of the line to Hartford and expand freight service.
[3] By 2000, annual carloads had jumped to 1,500 per year in the Middletown area, a 60 percent increase from Connecticut Central's volume pre-purchase.
[3] The Connecticut Central Railroad primarily hauled pulpboard, lumber, fertilizer, chemicals, brick, and steel.