October 7, 2008
- Coos Bay / North Bend, Oregon
Port of CB picks up steam to restore rail line
By Azenith Smith
COOS BAY - It's a waiting game for the Port of Coos Bay now, as they've recently filed their application to acquire ownership of the Coos Bay rail line.
The Port filed the feeder application with the Surface Transportation Board in mid-July, just days before Central Oregon Pacific Railroad filed their intent to abandon it. In the application, the Port seeks the entire CORP ownership that runs from West Eugene to the North Spit of Coos Bay, which they believe has an estimated value of $9.8 million. Port officials say, this application was the only means to restore service to the industrial shippers, who are already feeling major losses. "From talking with the shippers, they're spending about half a million dollars more a month in transportation changes than they were prior to the loss of rail service," says Director of Communications Martin Callery. "Those are big numbers at a time when forest products are down." Also, this week, Congressman Peter DeFazio proposed a bill that will reroute $8 million of federal money to help the Port acquire and rehabilitate the line. The money was previously set aside to repair the Coos Bay rail bridge. The Oregon Transportation Commission also approved a $4 million grant to help do the same. All of this, Callery says, works to their benefit, but they still have challenges that lie ahead. "There are three tunnels at least at this point that are deemed unsafe by the Federal Rail Administration," says Callery. "Those will have to be taken care of. We will have to look at other conditions on the line. Since September 2007, CORP has not paid any attention to most of this rail line." The Port does not expect any action to be done with the application until October. If the Port acquires the line, they believe the earliest it will be up and running is Spring or Summer of 2009. |
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