Trackage of the now defunct Northwestern Pacific Railroad may soon see rail action again, as the North Coast Railroad Authority finishes a document to solicit operators for its 300-mile rail line in Northern California.

It is expected that the document will request proposals that will specify plans and objectives for the route, which has been shut down since winter storms knocked out portions of the line in 1998. Financial information and funding sources will also be required to be reported.

If proposals are received by the end of March, a contract could be reached with a new operator or operators by July.

Authority directors voiced concern that the document allow the authority to entertain multiple operators, including ones that may be interested in the future. That could be especially important at the north end of the line, where groups have suggested running part of the railroad as a tourist train and bike trail around Humboldt Bay.