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Infrastructure: Keeping the economy rolling with rail |
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Written On: March/April 2007 |
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Written By: by Paul Schlienz |
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Washington has been running on rail since the early territorial days. Even today, railroads remain central to Washington’s economy, bringing commodities like grain and manufactured goods to market.
"The partnership between Washington’s ports, state businesses and the railroads for movement of goods across the country is critical to our competitiveness," said Patrick Jones, director of the Washington Public Ports Association. "Our international trade-based economy, as well as producers and consumers of goods from the central and eastern United States, depend on rail transportation as their source of efficient goods movement."
According to Jones, any cargo that needs to go more than 400 miles can be moved cheaper by rail than it can by trucks. Since the Northwest is somewhat isolated from the rest of the country, most of Washington’s imports and exports cross the United States by rail. As a result, rail remains nearly as much of a lifeline to the region as it was a century ago.
Rise of the iron horse
The first rail line to reach the Puget Sound was the Northern Pacific Railway (now BNSF Railway). The first train arrived in Tacoma in 1873, having traveled north on a new line from Portland, Ore. The railroad spurred further development of the young port city and later, in 1887, the Northern Pacific connected Tacoma to a more direct transcontinental route over the Cascade Range via Stampede Pass. Trains had to negotiate the pass on temporary trestles and switchbacks, and could only pull five cars using what were then two of the largest locomotives in service.
In 1893, Seattle became the terminus of the Great Northern Railway’s transcontinental line over Stevens Pass. Northern Pacific’s earlier selection of Tacoma as its terminus had been a body blow to Seattle’s city fathers, who saw all their ambitious plans for their community’s future growth put in jeopardy by the railroad’s decision. With the coming of the Great Northern, however, Seattle’s future prosperity was assured.
Washington’s final transcontinental railway came in 1909, when the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad—the famed “Milwaukee Road”—reached Seattle via Snoqualmie Pass.
As the rail lines expanded in Washington, trains became the preferred mode of transportation for both goods and passengers. Cities, towns, and farms developed along the rail routes, and the Northwest economy took shape with rail at its center.
The railroads began an era of decline in the 1920s as automobiles became the preferred mode for passenger travel and trucks made inroads into rail’s freight volumes. On the Milwaukee Road alone, passenger travel dropped from 16 million in 1920 to a mere 6.7 million in 1930.
Nevertheless, rail survived the age of the automobile, interstate trucking, federal subsidies for aviation and the Interstate Highway System. The railroads of the territorial and early statehood days either merged or went out of business, but rail’s importance to Washington’s economy remained undiminished.
New challenges in the 21st century
Built from mergers of the old rail lines, two transcontinental railroads—BNSF Railway (formerly the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway) and the Union Pacific Railroad—now serve Washington. In addition, there are short-line railroads that connect with the main lines, providing local service to outlying areas.
"The future is certainly bright at BNSF," said Gus Melonas, a spokesman for the railroad. "The company is spending $2.75 billion in capital improvements, overall, for expansion in tracks and equipment. Based on tonnage we’re handling through the Northwest corridor, we’re taking an average of 300 to, maybe, 500 trucks off the roads with each one of those trains."
BNSF and Union Pacific are increasingly focusing on long haul service, which is rapidly growing. As a result, the system is facing capacity challenges. In addition, in-state businesses are finding it more difficult to get rail service to local communities.
In response to these concerns, during the 2006 session, the Legislature authorized the Washington State Transportation Commission to study statewide rail capacity and system needs. The commission’s final report was released in December 2006.
Among the commission’s recommendations were for the state to participate in the preservation and improvement of both freight and passenger rail service; use cost-benefit analysis in its decisions to participate in rail projects; designate a single entity with the authority to direct the state’s involvement in rail improvements; take an active role in influencing the shape of national and regional rail policy; and implement management decisions for state-owned rail assets.
Gov. Chris Gregoire has already started reorganizing the Department of Transpor-tation to bring rail policy into sharper focus. In addition, the governor’s Container Port Initiative is fostering discussion between railroads, ports and other stakeholders in building railway capacity in the state.
One controversial plan to fund transportation improvements, including rail enhancements, is a tax imposing a $50 fee on the processing of 20-foot equivalent units on the shipping containers that go through Washington’s ports in order to fund a "freight congestion relief account." This idea was proposed in recent legislation by Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, the influential chair of the Senate’s Transportation Committee.
"A container tax would put our state at a competitive disadvantage with Vancouver, B.C., which has made a lot of improvements in its port," said Gary Chandler, AWB’s vice president of governmental affairs. "Our competition is with Vancouver, not with California or Oregon. Even if Alaska, California and Oregon all slapped on the same kinds of container taxes, it wouldn’t level our playing field."
According to Chandler, most of the containers that are shipped into California stay in the state, while 70 percent of both Washington’s and British Columbia’s cargo goes east via rail.
Nevertheless, Jones remains hopeful that funding will be found for rail improvements.
"The reason ocean carriers and international trade interests use our ports is because of our excellent intermodal rail connections, as well as our labor productivity here in the Pacific Northwest," said Jones. "High-quality intermodal rail service must be maintained and enhanced through a high-level, public-private partnership between the railroads, the ports and the state. I think we’re making real progress in advancing that partnership."
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