Washington State Freight Report Shows Columbia Basin Railroad as Busiest Short Line in Eastern Washington

MOSES LAKE, Wash., Nov. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent Washington State Freight and Goods Transportation System report published by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the Columbia Basin Railroad line from Connell, WA to Moses Lake/Wheeler, WA is shown as an "R2" Freight Rail Corridor, which handles 1 million to 5 million tons per year. In particular, the report from WSDOT shows the Columbia Basin Railroad as the busiest short line in Eastern Washington.

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With all of the economic development that has been occurring in Grant County (i.e…Moses Lake, Wheeler and Warden) and Adams County (i.e…Schrag, Bruce and Othello) over the past few years, Columbia Basin Railroad has become one of the busiest short lines in Washington State, hauling over 10,000 carloads annually of various agricultural and industrial commodities and other cargo for 60 active rail shippers in the Columbia Basin. More importantly, the various shippers or companies that haul cargo on Columbia Basin Railroad employ nearly 7,000 people in Grant and Adams Counties.  

By comparison, most other short line railroads in Washington State handle much less tonnage and are classified R3 and R4 lines.

Last year, Columbia Basin Railroad began bringing 110-car unit trains of canola seed to Pacific Coast Canola's (PCC) crushing and oil refining facility at the Port of Warden in Washington State, which is the first commercial-scale canola seed crushing operation west of the Rocky Mountains.  Stated Dale Pomeroy, Commissioner, Port of Warden, "Having the ability to bring in Unit Trains into Warden on the Columbia Basin Railroad line to service companies such as Pacific Coast Canola is helping to establish the Port of Warden as a key location in Eastern Washington to handle freight and it is pivotal for our economic development and will provide low cost options which are critical for companies to competitively ship their goods to and from Warden."

Columbia Basin Railroad also supports the Port of Moses Lake's "Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project," which is a critical economic development, job creation and freight mobility project in Washington State that will enhance and improve rail access to vital industries in the northern Columbia Basin area near Moses Lake, Washington. In particular, the Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project will provide expanded freight rail service to the Moses Lake area, from the Wheeler Road Corridor across town to the Port of Moses Lake's Grant County International Airport Industrial Area. In addition, the project is integral to preserving existing manufacturing jobs and related investment in central Washington, while helping to bring new business opportunities, job creation and economic development to the region.

Furthermore, locations such as Bruce, WA and Schrag, WA in Adams County are becoming key agribusiness shipping hubs in eastern Washington in which products such as grain and fertilizer, etc. are being shipped by rail. Columbia Basin Railroad believes that these locations have tremendous potential for increased economic growth, and is working with Adams County and the Port of Othello on improving rail infrastructure at Schrag and Bruce, respectively.

While the increasing business and economic development on the Columbia Basin Railroad line is very positive, because of the growth in rail traffic of all types of freight and commodities on the line, there are some infrastructure issues that will need be addressed at the Connell, WA rail interchange, which is where the Columbia Basin Railroad line intersects with the BNSF Railway mainline. As a result, there have been discussions among various organizations such as the Great Northern Corridor Coalition, the Washington State Department of Transportation, the Washington State Department of Commerce, the Grant County Economic Development Council and the Adams County Development Council about how to address the additional infrastructure needs at the Connell Rail Interchange.

For more information, please contact Brig Temple of Columbia Basin Railroad at 509-731-3707 or Email.

About Columbia Basin Railroad (www.cbrr.com)

Columbia Basin Railroad (CBRR) is a locally owned and operated short-line railroad headquartered in Yakima, Washington.  Founded in 1986 by the Temple Family, CBRR has a long and successful history of operating rail lines in Washington State and operates the following rail lines:

• Columbia Basin Railroad: Moses Lake-Wheeler-Schrag-Warden-Bruce-Othello-Connell;
• Central Washington Railroad: Yakima-Moxee-Toppenish-Granger-Sunnyside Grandview-Prosser.

In 2008, CBRR was recognized as the "Short Line Railroad of the Year" by Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway. CBRR has an excellent track record of promoting economic and business development in Washington State and provides full service and support to its customers. CBRR is proud of its heritage of being a family owned and operated Washington State company and has a strong history of giving back to local communities where it does business.

SOURCE Columbia Basin Railroad