"Public entity owned shortlines are very 1990." So I'd like that same person to explain the success of Tacoma Belt Line... In the meantime, Washington State THIRTY YEARS LATER has yet to show any damn consistent interest in railroading. Even their lackadaisical grain train has cars been sitting around for MONTHS. It's a stated statistic that over HALF of the grain grown is trucked down to the rivers for barging. So all I can offer is that the state is simply following the money...there isn't enough money in grain, but passenger trains (Sounder) and export/import will always get the $$$. Here's to getting repeatedly stuck behind grain trucks on two lane roads in Eastern Washington...if you're a trucker and you can't make a living in WA state, there's definitely something wrong with you.