Port of Seattle Completes Purchase of Woodinville Sub

Local News | Port of Seattle complete rail corridor purchase | Seattle Times Newspaper

It's finally done! Final purchase price: $81 million for 42 miles of track.

After six years of BNSF efforts to sell the line, it is now in public hands, specifically the Port, King County, Sound Transit, city of Redmond, Puget Sound Energy and Cascade Water Alliance. Some of the partners want the line's transportation benefits while others want to use the right of way for utilities or foot traffic. Reports have GNP Railway and Ballard Terminal Railroad serving the freight traffic that still exists on the north end of the line.

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Journal of Commerce article: http://www.joc.com/node/415418
Seattle Times article: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com...apwarailcorridor.html

Woodinville Sub Sale to Close Soon

Mark December 15th on your calendars, because after that time the BNSF Woodinville Subdivision will be under new ownership! Price: $107 million.

Since we are in tough financial times, a group of buyers joined forces to save this right-of-way from abandonment. And here's the best part: the new owners will include Port of Seattle, King County, Sound Transit, and the City of Redmond. The northern part is still being used for freight, and will be operated by the Port. An email from their spokesperson a few months ago indicated that they were still looking for a short-line carrier to manage the line; sadly, the Temple family - owners of Washington Central and the Dinner Train - chose not to bid at that time. Redmond is interested in the stretch between Woodinville and Redmond for trail and rail access. I've long considered this portion to be a sleeper of sorts, because it runs from the busiest part of Woodinville to the busiest part of Redmond. Also imagine this: an interurban ride between the two cities through the valley and surrounded by some of the finest views in East King County. Sweet!

King County is still interested in building into their extensive trail system, and considers this corridor a vital link to many of those trails already in use. With 100 feet of right-of-way in many spots along the Woodinville Sub, operating both rails and trails can be a reality. Will Sound Transit's Link Light Rail run on part of this route? Only time and planning will tell.

Ever since late 2005, when BNSF announced that the line was for sale, I've been watching this activity as closely as possible. I even started a simple one-page website called Save The Railroad to get the word out that a priceless opportunity was ahead. That one page put me in touch with several of our elected leaders and a fair share of community organizations who were all interested in seeing the line used for the good of all. It was a great lesson in activism. Redmond's current vision for their part of of purchase mirrors almost exactly the idea I had for it back in early 2006. Amazing!

Frankly I'm thrilled to see this sale happen for several reasons. Keeping rail on this route is far too important for addressing future transportation needs. Creating more trail opportunities also makes me happy, because they not only create safer routes for peds and bicycles, but also a place for rail fans to potentially see trains up close from the safety of a dedicated walkway.

Kudos to all the groups involved!
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Article Link: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010221495_raildeal07m.html
More Subject Reading: http://www.warail.com/search?q=woodinville+subdivision

Eastside Rail Corrider Purchase Delayed

Short Version: Economy forces Port of Seattle to hold off buying the $107 million corridor from BNSF:

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/164833.asp

Long Version: Port of Seattle thought twice about issuing bonds to purchase the Woodinville Subdivision, mainly because of current state of the economy. In addition, the Federal Transportation Board hasn't completed its analysis of the deal. I don't think there is any indication it wouldn't go through, but given some of the notoriety the Port had last year I'd say the head honcho is being nice and conservative.

What's interesting about the above-linked article is that the P-I focuses on the bike trail angle of the transaction, rather than the potential transportation perspective that the line could become for the region. The media sees this as a bicycle resource, not a transportation resource for more than two wheels.

Not too balanced if you ask me.

Negotiations Begin for Eastside Freight Service

Port of Seattle is beginning negotiations with GNP and Ballard Terminal Railroad to provide freight service on the Woodinville Subdivision. Freight Service is expected to continue in the north end of the line, between Snohomish and Woodinville, because the southern link is currently severed south of the Wilburton Trestle.

The opportunities for freight service on the line south of Woodinville are kind of scarce at this time anyway.

Kirkland City Council and The Rail vs. Trail Question

View City's Rail Map HERE

Yikes...not a lot of notice on this one...

Tonight - Tuesday September 16th (probably when you're reading this) - the Kirkland City Council is discussing the fate of the Woodinville subdivision as it stands within the city's borders. Nearly 7 miles of track exists within the city lines, including some of the most scenic sections and some of the tightest fits for the tracks running through places like Houghton. Eastside Trail Advocates will be at the meeting, and I'm hoping Rail Advocates like Eastside Rail Now! will be there as well. I can't make it, but I've done my part to raise awareness already.

In 2007 I was invited to speak before the Moss Bay Neighborhood Association, and I had the opportunity to share my vision of a rail line through the city that could easily serve some of the transportation needs of the region. My discussion was well received, and at the very least planted the idea that the rail line was a resource that should be saved.

My message today is the same as it was in 2006 when I heard that the line was up for sale. We need a rail line through the Eastside to serve the transportation needs of the region; without it, we are merely a region that is thinking big rather than taking the tough steps to make "World Class" happen for suburban Seattle. The argument from the Trail Advocate side has often been, "Look at all the grade crossings that will hold up traffic in the area." Yeah, look at them. They were there last year, and they were there 100 years ago. Get over it. It's a right-of-way, and cities like Chicago are littered with them. Last I checked, Chicago and its bustling suburbs were the center of the Midwest Universe - purely World Class. People deal with commuter trains there every day, and have for over a century. A commuter train will take maybe 20 seconds out of someone's day if they get caught at a crossing; if 20 seconds is that important on the wrong side of a train then maybe it's time to switch careers.

I love trails as much as the next person, because I'm also a big Bicycle Advocate. But as our region gets more congested the reality of life shows the vital need for transportation options that impact more people than those who ride bikes to work. I support an option that preserves the rail corridor first, and provides for a trail second.

Hopefully there will be someone at the meeting tonight who feels the same.

BNSF Woodinville Abandonment Notice

Here is a notice of BNSF's abandonment application at the Surface Transportation Board site. It notes abandonment between Bellevue and Woodinville, but does not make mention of anything south to Renton.

The Snohomish County section appears to fall under a different application.

Eastside Rail Now! Gets the Word Out

In 2006 I hosted a website called "Save The Railroad" to inform people about what I called "A vital branch line in peril." Eastside Rail Now! now runs with that torch; it's a group whose sole purpose is to promote and protect the former Woodinville Subdivision. They have provided community level guidance to decision makers on the line, and all the while providing ideas for the tracks' use in this busy corridor.

Since 2003, BNSF has had the Woodinville Subdivision up for sale, with King County as the primary suitor. This line runs from Renton to Snohomish, plus a link to Redmond via Woodinville. Ultimately that line was purchased by the Port of Seattle, in a deal that keeps King County involved with the line in some measure.

For BNSF it was a low producer with minimal traffic from the perspective of a nationwide carrier. For short lines - currently bidding on the opportunity to serve the customers along those rails - it's a way to get more business. For history buffs it's one of the last vestiges of the Northern Pacific that exists in the area; NP once had tracks on both sides of Lake Washington, and the northbound route ran all the way to the Canadian border. What remains serves three big customers and few smaller ones. Some of the tracks date to the 1940s and maximum speed on the line is about 30mph in most places.

Plenty can be found on the Internet about the rough back-n-forth political battle that has shrouded this purchase. What lingers still is the uncertainty over what will happen with this route. Bits of it are being whittled away slowly from the south. In 2007 it was announced that the right-of-way just north of Interstate 90 would be abandoned because it was too costly to add rail into an upcoming freeway project that the line crossed over (the line has since been severed, and the crossover removed from I-405). This leaves the historic Wilburton Trestle unused, along with all the track between Factoria and Coulon Park in Renton.

Eastside Rail Now! has done a great job of keeping the potential uses of this line alive in the minds of the region's decision makers, and continues to remain involved as transportation plans for the are formulated.

Open Houses get Opinions about Woodinville Sub

Even before the feds have given their blessing to the Port of Seattle's purchase of the Woodinville Subdivision, The Port is doing what is has the time and ability to do: conduct open houses to get feedback from the community on the future of this line. According to the following blog post, it's pretty clear that there is a lot of support in the Kirkland area for a trail, and not so much for freight or commuter use of the line:

My “Take Away” From the Port of Seattle Eastside Rail Open House - Debra Sinick

I support dual-use of the corridor, with rail taking the pole position and trail doing follow up. My vision of this has been clear since the day it was announced that BNSF wanted to sell the line: Use it for moving people, whether it be by train, by foot, or by bicycle. It's ridiculous to think that we have a line that runs from one busy end of the Eastside to the other, and that tracks could be pulled forever.

We need to use this resource that has been put in our hands, to relieve congestion at some level through this populated region of the county.

Port of Seattle OKs Eastside trail deal

Agreement between Port of Seattle and BNSF has finally been signed for the Woodinville Subdivision. BNSF is choosing a short line operator for the customers still on the line, and advocacy groups are now jockeying for position as right-of-way uses by people and trains are proposed for the future. One group wants "further study" on the line's use; that group is made up of people who own property butting up against - or near to - the tracks in Kirkland. "Further Study" in advocacy speak means "We don't want trains in our back yard," or "I bought this property assuming the trains would no longer run someday."


We saw plenty of that when King County was struggling to put in a rail trail along the east shore of Lake Sammamish. Some of the property owners - once BNSF pulled the tracks - went so far as to fence across the right of way and keep the trail in court for years, under the assumption that the right of way would revert to private ownership once the line was no longer used. When that didn't happen, the fight got messy. Eventually King County won out and now the most level route between Redmond and Issaquah can be ridden by bicycle, in the shadow of the Northern Pacific.

As always, we're watching this situation closely. It's a pivotal event for the Eastside, and will have impact on the region's ability to move in, out, and around the east part of King County

Sound Transit Wants Feedback

Sound Transit will be looking for public feedback in June and July, on what plans they should use for the future of light rail in the region. Topics include potential expansion and funding.

High on my list would be the opportunity for passenger rail on the Eastside using the soon-to-be-former Woodinville Subdivision.

Tracks to remain on trail-rail corridor

Seattle P-I reports today that plans for the Woodinville Subdivision are to allow tracks to remain on corridor for the foreseeable future. In the article, County Executive Ron Sims announces that he is committed to seeing this Eastside corridor used for rails and trails. I like what I hear; been disappointed a few times in the past when I've read one thing and seen another, but overall this calms my concerns about some future aspects of this undervalued line.

Consider this: BNSF considers the trackage itself "scrap" because of its condition, but what the rails lack in transit value they make up for in political value. They are a symbol - while still in the ground - that the new owners are committed to using this line for what it's made for - moving freight and possibly people - just as it has for a century. It's a stance that bodes well with transportation advocates of all kinds, and keeps the politicians in their good graces.

To top it off, the Dinner Train still has another chance to run! This time the proposed route takes it from Snohomish south to Woodinville. No comment from the Temple Family in this article, but hopefully they're keeping those sweet old FP7s greased up and ready. But that's another story, because the Columbia Winery is moving. So where could the Dinner Train take its clientèle? Well, with tracks in the ground all the way down to Redmond, I could imagine Redmond Town Center or Willows Run Golf Course as potential destinations.

There's more to come on this story I'm sure!

Woodinville Sub Update

While some of the plan runs slightly counter to the plan to run commuter trains from Snohomish to Bellevue, the purchase of the Woodinville Subdivision is on its way. Right-of-way south of Woodinville - according to this article - would be rail-banked. Personally I would hate seeing any track pulled out of the ground on this property, because getting it back will be nothing short of a bloody legal battle after people have grown accustomed to not having it around. So hopefully it will be left in place.

"Little-Used" Branchline Works All Week

Clearly at the crossroads in terms of future usage, the Woodinville Subdivision of the BNSF has been labeled by the media as "as little-used branch line." Whether this term was fed to the papers with a goal in mind is uncertain. However what is certain would include trains - at least one per day - and regular shots like the one above just north of the Wilburton Trestle.

The reasons behind that traffic include one big customer and a truckload of circumstance. BNSF delivers 737 fuselages to Boeing over this line from the north, because it was not able to navigate a tight corner through Renton from the south. That corner is being realigned in preparation for the railroad's upcoming sale of the Woodinville Subdivision to the Port of Seattle, which times perfectly with construction on Interstate 405 that will literally cut the line in two just south of Bellevue.

But for the time being these fuselage trains run past my current employer almost every day on their way south through Kirkland. What does the future hold for this line? It depends on who you talk to; options for commuter service, rail trails, continued freight service, and residential development surround this line like sharks. Everyone close to it seems to want a piece of this right-of-way for their purpose. I watch the news regularly for stories from "the front" about the line, and some surprise development seems to pop up quarterly.

But while the leaders talk, the trains still run. It's indeed a wonderful site.

Sound Transit Looking Closer at Woodinville Sub

Who would have thought a year ago that we would be seeing talk Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) running the rails between Renton and Woodinville, providing passenger service? This is a welcome change, since pulling these "under-used" tracks in favor of a bike trail through a busy part of the county would be just plain stupid.

Eastside News | Sound Transit gives rail line a boost | Seattle Times Newspaper