Cascades rail line gets improvement funds

Cascades rail line gets improvement funds   The U.S. Transportation Department on Wednesday released $31.1 million to Washington State to improve intercity passenger and freight rail service on the Cascades line.
  The amount is further broken down as follows:
  • Pacific Northwest Corridor will receive $16.1 million for design, environmental review and construction work to stabilize and improve track structure along the rail line between Blaine, Wash., and the Columbia River Bridge in Vancouver, Wash. The upgrades along this route will increase service reliability by reducing the number of closures and delays due to inclement weather.
  • $15 million will go toward the construction of a new rail access route to the Port of Vancouver, including grade separation at an existing rail crossing which has acted as a significant choke point for rail traffic. “This enhancement will substantially minimize delays affecting freight trains and Amtrak’s Cascades service,” DOT said. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the Port of Vancouver are contributing a combined total of $22 million to this project. Construction is expected to begin in July 2012.