I applaud Mike, Stan and the gang for their can-do attitude and their commitment to growing the customer base. Those guys have talent for seemingly creating rail business that most others would overlook.

In the long run, I believe the hopes for future success for the W&I and the rest of the Palouse lines lies in two potential occurances - the willingness of the connecting Class I's (UP and BNSF) to continue timely car supply and operational synchronicity, and the plans of WSDOT to build a connecting track from the ex-UP lines to the ex-BNSF line to re-interconnect the Palouse lines into one entity.

If BNSF allows the W&I to run grain trains over the BNSF to the Ritzville shuttle loader (where the grain cars can either be added to the shuttle consist or the contents transloaded into the shuttle hoppers).....OR.....UP allows W&I to run it's grain trains to Wallula via Hooper Junction (again, assuming a reconnect), then the W&I will have a long a prosperous future.