New report brings eastern Washington rail line priorities into focus

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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An example of the PCC rail line’s infrastructure state.
An example of the PCC rail line’s infrastructure state.

According to a plan developed and finalized by the Washington State Department of Transportation, improvements to a state-owned eastern Washington rail line would help Washington farmers deliver their goods to market more efficiently and benefit the state's overall economy.

 

The Palouse River and Coulee City (PCC) Rail System Strategic Plan, finalized last month, will help shape future funding, policy and planning goals for the state-owned rail system. Developed with the PCC Rail Authority, the plan also incorporates suggestions brought forth in public-comment forums and workshops.

Private and public investments in the rail system have not kept pace with preservation and maintenance needs, according to the plan. Trains must now run at slower speeds in some areas due to rail conditions. The plan’s three main goals are safe operations, efficient operations and economic development.

The plan highlights the benefits of the rail system and lists $58 million in recommended maintenance projects and policies to boost farm-to-market rail transportation. Several of the prioritized projects use lowest-cost options to maximize investments. The projects are designed to increase the capacity to handle 286,000-pound rail cars; rehabilitate train track in moderate to sharp curves to allow for increased speeds and identify and replace defective rails through integrity testing.

The 297-mile PCC rail line consists of three branch lines that carry freight through Spokane, Lincoln, Grant and Whitman counties. The rail system connects eastern Washington to the larger freight transportation system and global gateways of the international commodities market. In 2013, the rail line carried 20 percent of state-grown wheat, saving 37,000 truckload trips on Washington state roadways.

 

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