Oregon Gov won't bend to railroad demands

Just when we thought the Central Oregon and Pacific would be up and operating the fractured branch line by the end of 2008...

The World Link: Gov won't bend to railroad demands

Central Oregon & Pacific to Get Repairs

After closing a Central Oregon & Pacific branch line suddenly last year - to the dismay and shock of the region that used it - RailAmerica has agreed to repair potentially dangerous tunnels along the line running from Eugene to Coquille. This came after a financial standoff between RailAmerica, the State of Oregon, and cities along the line that use it to keep trucks off the roads. RailAmerica has spent a lot of money keeping the line open, and some financial agreements between them and the State seem to have broken down. This may have played a part in the sudden and politically-charged line closure that put shippers - in particular the Port of Coos Bay - back in trucks.

There is the possibility that the line could become publicly owned, since the State seems to see more benefits in having it than RailAmerica does.