Well placed rumors that I have heard lately indicate it is 50-50 between rebuilding the POTB flood damage vs a rail barge operation from Garibaldi to somewhere around Astoria. The latter would require repairing the P&W line into Astoria and most likely track upgrades to handle the 286k cars.

Since the P&W would handle the majority of the line haul once shared by P&W and POTB, the financial future of what remains of the POTB along the coast will have to be heavily subsidized as all POTB will get most likely is a small switch charge. Just who pays the cost of the barge operation is a good question. FEMA would pay the majority of the cost of rebuilding the flood damage; who would operate the barge line and whose portion of the revenue do the costs of that operation come out of?

Time will tell!!

Shortline Sammie