Re: Pullman WA track removal kills excursions
Author: Dwight
Date: 11-20-2009 - 09:11
STuff on WSU owned land was removed a year or two ago, this stuff is on land City of Pullman purchased--- at a premium price---to build it's green way. Cost to put in new side tracks is very expensive, particularly when it has been landscaped and roadbed removed as is the plan here. Repairing existing trackwork far less costly, and existing trackwork more likely to attract interested users than prospective customers having to build their own track in order to ship. Makes for a costly commitment that is very unlikely to happen these days---particularly in an ag area where no one wants to put out any money. City bike path and green way supporters would fight you tooth and nail to remove their park for a RR track. Once they are gone, they are pretty much gone. It appears the state bought the line to service a select group of people, and no others need apply. This will always keep the line from making any kind of money so it will always be at the mercy of the whims of state government.