Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project Order Of Expansion To Be Reprioritized

YAKIMA, WA, March 30, 2011 (Press-News.org) The Port of Moses Lake has decided to postpone building the rail line (Segment 2) around the Grant County International Airport and reprioritize the order of expansion of the Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project to instead focus resources on completing the rail bypass line (Segment 1) around Moses Lake from the Wheeler Road industrial area to the Airport.

The state allocated $2 million in 2009 to start the rail expansion (Segment 2) around the Grant County International Airport.

But the deteriorating railroad tracks through Moses Lake to the port and declining rail shipments on the segment through town (Segment 4) that would connect to the proposed Segment 2 have caused the Port and other key stakeholders to decide to reprioritize the order of the project.

In particular, Columbia Basin Railroad, Wheeler Road businesses and other key stakeholders recently requested that the project to start at Wheeler Road.

As a result, Port of Moses Lake commissioners unanimously agreed on March 22nd that the $2 million should be used for another part of the project (instead of Segment 2).

Commission President Kent Jones urged audience members to call contact legislators immediately.

Columbia Basin Railroad Government Affairs Consultant Pat Boss indicated that the money could be transferred to another portion of the project such as Segment 1 or Segment 3.

On March 22nd, about 30 people attended the port commission meeting to reach an agreement about the expansion's future.

The group included business owners, Moses Lake City Council members, Columbia Basin Railroad President/CEO Brig Temple and representatives from the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce and Grant County Economic Development Council.

Temple, of Columbia Basin Railroad, said a requirement to expand rail (Segment 2) at the port was the port agreeing to keep the line open through town for 15 years. Lewis, of DOT, agreed.

The railroad has kept the line open through downtown Moses Lake for 23 years, but the line isn't operable now, Temple said.

It would cost the railroad an estimated $6 million to $7 million to make the line (Segment 4) through town operable.

"We have facilitated Boeing being able to come out here and bid, General Dynamics being able to come out here and bid and SGL being able to come out here and bid," Temple said. "We cannot afford to maintain a railroad through the middle of town for the next 15 years."

While the addition of SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers' plant was "a huge win for the Moses Lake community," they are not a rail shipper because of the product amounts they're dealing with, he said.

Bob Fancher, of Maiers Development Corporation, said the issue comes down to finances. To build a railroad line around the airport that cannot be served at this time makes no financial sense, he pointed out. Most people here don't want rail running downtown Moses Lake, he said.

Moses Lake Mayor Jon Lane said the city's priority is to remove rail from the downtown area because it is not viable. It is also dangerous to have rail cars traveling through town.

Bill Ecret, of Vision 2020 and a city councilmember, said Vision 2020 wants to move the tracks out of downtown and build the bypass line around town first.