Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF/Seattle/rail advocates [square off] over RR line

<http://www.nationalcorridors.org/df2/df07232007.shtml#Washington&gt;

THIS LINK takes you to the top of the July 23, 2007 online newsletter of "Destination Freedom" -- and the feature article of the Seattle WA area group(s) co-heading up an effort to purchase the "little-used," 45-mile BNSF "Eastside" rail line for future commuter rail service, which rail advocates involved in the NEW offer to purchase the line from BNSF say "...is needed THIS year." There is one hurdle: due to another, potential deal, BNSF may [sell] the RR line to the County and the Port of Seattle in another deal, which would quickly REMOVE the railroad, turning a portion of it into a bike trail. That deal would see Port Boeing Field, owned by the county, become a BNSF property (.....that's NOT a done deal, however, and is the crux of this on-going battle over the rail line in question).

"The Spirit of Washington" DINNER TRAIN is said to operate over a portion of this line, and it is feared "that other deal" would kill off the dinner train, as well as any potential future for commuter rail service on the line.

---This is the FIRST feature article at the above website, near the top of the page---

The text of the story actually states that Boeing field would be traded by King County to the Port of Seattle which owns SEA-TAC airport. BNSF would not become owner of Boeing Field. BNSF just wants cash. It would seem that Boeing Field should be worth far more than the rail line.
This is sort of like LA Metrolink refusing to run trains on the LA-Pasadena-Pomona ATSF line that they had just bought. Neither situations pass the political smell test.

To clarify reality..

King County and the Port of Seattle are willing to trade the rail line (Woodinville Subdivision, 18th Sub, Renton to Snohomish 47 miles) for Boeing Field. The option of changing the line is King County Executive Ron Simms idea to change the rail line into a bike corridor or a dual use Rails w/Trails. All Aboard Washington, a rail advocate group based out of Bellevue, Washington wants to perverse the route for commuter rail and has offered to buy the line and quickly turn it into a Commuter Rail corridor. The group has stated they could have a running system in 60-90 days with Colorado Railcar DMU's and basic "bus like" stations... simple, effective, gets cars off the 405 corridor.

BNSF shot down this offer with the deadline for King County coming up. If the sale goes through, the money will be used for the Stampede Tunnel mitigation work, which includes CTC'ing the subdivision completely and lowering the tunnel to allow double stacks and autoracks. The other is a feasibility study for the Ellensburg - Lind connection via the old Milwaukee Road right of way that the State of Washington owns.

Brian

As to Metrolink "refusing" to operate via Pasadena: The MTA owns all the tracks and trackage rights in Los Angeles County that were purchased from the SP, UP, and ATSF and MTA contracts to Metrolink to run commuter service. Metrolink has no independence, they are the operating arm for each of the five county agencies. The MTA controls the budget, there is no independent Metrolink budget; it is the sum of the five county agency budgets for commuter trains. Metrolink simply cannot do something that the owners don't approve of, the checks would bounce.
Many Metrolink staff and public knew that commuter trains would be much less expensive and much quicker to implement than the LRT line, but after being thanked for their opinion were told that the whole reason MTA bought the Pasadena line was to run electric trains so forget your plans.

That's a very good point. If BNSF could hold onto the line for awhile longer it would be best!

I posted a link to a radio interview about this last week on the passenger board.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,1450967

Don't know if the station link is still valid:

http://www.710kiro.com/Article.asp?id=442131&amp;spid=7912

"The Spirit of Washington" DINNER TRAIN is said to operate over a portion of this line, and it is feared "that other deal" would kill off the dinner train, as well as any potential future for commuter rail service on the line.

Last trip on this line for the dinner train is July 31. Beginning August 3rd they run out of Tacoma.