Most remaining shippers are small-scale shippers, with two exceptions at the southern end of the line (Renton): Boeing (bringing in 737 fuselages) and coil steel to a fabricator. Safeway Stores, which in the 1970s required dozens of cars per week, has long since been reduced to a few at a time. It seems that north of Boeing in Renton--through Bellevue and Kirkland--there are few (none at all?) shippers with enough traffic to have clout with BNSF. Certainly, the county government and city governments (e.g., Bellevue) are either indifferent or on the side of the trail conversion people. Once a through truss bridge across the Cedar River in Renton is replaced (presumably by the end of June), all the Boeing 737s can reach the plant from the south.
I'd like to know how BNSF plans to deal with potential problems on the ex-GN Everett-Seattle main line, which will be the only north-south link between Washington north of Everett and Seattle. How far will trains have to go to get around mudslides north of Seattle or unexpected damage to their 100-year old tunnel under downtown Seattle?--presumably all the way east to Spokane. The anti-rail forces have successfully and inaccurately portrayed the east side (Belt Line) track as delapidated and even dangerous.