(WSBT) Could thousands of new jobs come to LaPorte County?

Community leaders hope so. They say they've heard two -- possibly even three -- railroad companies might be interested in building intermodal facilities near LaPorte.

Intermodals are massive distribution centers where trains and semi trucks transfer their cargo. A similar-sized center in Joliet, Illinois, created 6,000 jobs since it opened in 2002.

LaPorte mayor Leigh Morris says the town is the perfect location because all three major rail lines run through the county.

“We’re close enough to the Chicago marketplace that it makes sense from that standpoint, yet far enough away that we avoid the congestion of that Chicago rail market,” he told WSBT News on Wednesday.

A spokesperson with Norfolk Southern says talking now about the project isn’t anything more than rumor or speculation. But some people who live in the area say they were approached to sell their land.