Eastern Washington Gateway Line Part II

Looks like the state and US Rail Partners have come to an agreement on how to move forward with the EWGRR. Both finances and operations will be addressed, and the carrier is no longer in jeopardy of being kicked off the line by July.

Woohoo!

State Funds On Hold For Eastside Light Rail

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008952405_bridgerail31m.html

Given the financial situation in the Washington right now, the State has backed out of a $29 million commitment to fund work on the the I-90 bridges in support of the Eastside LINK Light Rail project. This could delay the line considerably if funding isn't found.

Eastside Light Rail Route Under Fire

It was only a matter of time before this happened.

The chosen route laid out HERE - down Bellevue Way and then to 112th Avenue - is coming under fire from people who don't want the LINK Light Rail to run near their homes. P-I reports this morning that the opponents are starting to come out of the woodwork in general, arguing against the preferred route which would take the trains down 106th Avenue through town. A real estate agent also claims that small businesses will be destroyed by the route, a claim that I don't support.

Once again the call for using the BNSF Right-Of-Way, which hasn't been purchased by the Port Of Seattle quite yet, in place of the route going down Bellevue Way. Both routes end up back at the same place at SE 8th Street, but the concern I have is that the right-of-way route bypasses any chance of having a rail station at the South Bellevue Park&Ride.

Discussions are ongoing. It's no wonder why our big projects around here take forever to complete. We'll have to see how this one plays out in the next few months, as the planning stages for the line become more advanced.

BNSF 2759 Crossing The Duwamish

The elements of this shot developed within minutes.

While out train watching with David on Thursday night, he insisted that we go to Harbor Island. H.I. is still a bit of a mystery to me, and I'm always afraid that I will end up driving down some road with a security booth and no way out. But in the late evening light of March - thank you New Daylight Savings Schedule - I was able to see the roads of the Island a bit better than in the past. Our driving led us to SW Klickitat Way, near the bridge you see in the picture. Klickitat runs along the Duwamish River, an estuary in peril from over 100 years of industry along its banks. Efforts to clean up the river are serious and ongoing.

When we got there the bridge was up. Within seconds it started to go down. Then David saw a rumbling road switcher heading down the other side of the river, pulling a few empty hoppers. We grabbed the camera and hopped out of the truck to stand in a convenient clear spot near the tracks. Not long after, a brakeman walked across the bridge towards the switches on the other side. "Just going to get some ice cream," he smiled. We reminded him to bring two back for us.

Eventually BNSF 2759 lumbered its way over the span and I shot photos as fast as I could wind the AE-1! SODO and Harbor Island are both great places to catch urban railroading at its gritty best. Thanks to David's keen eye and persistence, we were able to get another great shot for our archives.

View Location in Google Maps

Eastern Washington Gateway Line in Trouble

View Map of EWGRR

We seem to be getting all sorts of new out of Eastern WA lately. While Old MILW trackage near Othello is on the radar for recovery, another shortline is at risk.

The State of Washington and a shortline operator may part ways on the Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad, which is owned by the State and operated by US Rail Partners Ltd. A number of issues are in play with the shortline that runs from Cheney to Coulee City. Required rail tie maintenance has not been done. Also, a rough wheat harvest would typically be a majority of the traffic on the line, but this year the harvest was bad. It's hard to point blame at one thing here, but the end result is one less railroad and a ton more trucks on the road.

Talks are ongoing