Montana Rail Link (MRL) - A regional railroad that operates via trackage rights on the BNSF line between Sandpoint Junction, ID and Yardley Terminal at Spokane. Their own trackage runs from Jones Junction, east of Billings, MT to Sandpoint Junction, ID. During the summer, the Montana Daylight Passenger Excursion train operates from Sandpoint, ID to Livingston, MT (455 miles each way). Rail site is montanarailtours.com.
SHORTLINE RAILROADS
Camas Prairie Railroad (CSP) - A shortline railroad operated by Texas based Railnet Co. since 1998. It was previously jointly owned by BNSF and UP. The line in southeast Washington extends from Riparia to Clarkston. At Clarkston it heads east into Idaho. With Lewiston, ID as the hub, the Camas Prairie operates over four subdivisions consisting of a total of 256 miles of main line, primarily serving the region's agriculture and forest products industries. A substantial amount of anhydrous ammonia is also transported over this line. In 2000, much of the Idaho line was abandoned.
Columbia Basin Railroad (CBRC) - A shortline railroad operating on an 85-mile segment between Connell, WA and Moses Lake, WA. This line was once part of the Washington Central Railroad (WCRC), a former regional railroad that ceased operations in late 1996.
Columbia and Cowlitz Railroad (CLC) - A shortline railroad owned by Weyerhaeuser Company. It is operated between Longview, WA and Rocky Point, WA. The two primary products transported on this line are sawdust and cut lumber. The sawdust is sent to Weyerhaeuser's paper mill at Kelso, while the cut lumber is finished at Kelso or sent elsewhere on the main line railroads out of Kelso.
Cascade & Columbia River Railroad (CSCD) - A shortline railroad operating between Olds Junction, WA and Oroville, WA. It is owned by RailAmerica, Inc., a diversified transportation holding company headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. RailAmerica owns and operates twelve shortline railroads and provides freight service over approximately 1,000 miles of track in eight states.
Lewis & Clark Railway (LINC) - A shortline/tourist railroad formerly known as the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad. Trackage runs between Rye Junction, near Vancouver, WA and Chelatchie, WA. Clark County purchased the railroad in 1986 and contracts with a private company for maintenance and operations. Common carrier operations are conducted between Rye Junction and Battle Ground. The primary commodities hauled are industrial gases, steel and building materials. The passenger ride is a rail journey through forest and farmland from Battle Ground to Moulton Falls Park. In 1997, excursions had to be cancelled due to mud slides and bridge damage from flooding and heavy rains in 1996.
Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad (PCC) - A shortline railroad serving the East Central part of Washington. It was originally known as the Palouse River Railroad when it was established in 1992. One segment runs between Cheney and Coulee City, WA, another runs between Marshall, WA and Moscow, ID, and the third segment runs between Palouse, WA and Bovill, ID. These routes were previously controlled by the Burlington Northern Railroad. The PCC is owned by Watco, Inc. of Pittsburg, Kansas. The principal commodities hauled by PCC are grain and other farm products.
Blue Mountain Railroad (BLMR) - A shortline railroad serving the Southeast part of Washington. The BLMR was established in 1992 and is former Union Pacific trackage. The tracks go from the UP connection at Wallula up the valley through Touchet, Lowden and College Place to the yard in Walla Walla. From the yard, a branch line goes south through Milton Freewater, OR to Smith Frozen Foods in Weston, OR. Another branch also heads out of Walla Walla north to Prescott, WA and then east through Waitsburg to Dayton. At Dayton, the BLMR serves the Pillsbury plant at the east end of town. The BLMR is also operating on former UP trackage between Colfax and Hooper, Colfax and Pullman, and between Winona and Thornton. The BLMR is also owned by Watco, Inc. of Pittsburg, Kansas. The principal commodities hauled by the BLMR are grain, forest products, frozen foods and other farm products.
Pend Oreille Valley Railroad (POVA) - A shortline railroad operating on the former Milwaukee Road branch line between Newport, WA and Metaline Falls, WA. The entire line is about 62 miles long. It was originally incorporated in 1979 as the Pend Oreille Valley Railroad, Inc. The corporation was dissolved in 1984 and the line was taken over by the Port Commission who continues to operate the line. The primary commodities transported are newsprint and cement. Excursion trips are also conducted between Ione and Metaline Falls. POVA is also operating on BNSF trackage between Newport, WA and Dover, ID under a lease agreement.
Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad (PS&P) - A shortline railroad that stretches from an interchange with the BNSF mainline near Centralia, WA to Hoquiam, WA and Bangor, WA, a total of approximately 79 miles. The trackage operated on between Shelton, WA and Bangor is owned by the United States Navy. The remainder is ex-BNSF trackage which was purchased in 1997. The PS&P is headquartered in Elma, WA and is a division of the Arizona & California Railroad. Operations began on August 30, 1997.
Royal Slope Railroad (RS) - A shortline railroad that operates approximately 26 miles of track between Othello, WA and Royal City, WA. It was originally a branch line of the Milwaukee Road's Pacific Coast extension. It was also owned, for a while, by the ex-Washington Central Railroad who once boycotted the line and applied for abandonment due to low traffic levels and high maintenance costs. The line is now owned by Washington State and leased by the Royal City Port Authority. The railroad is operated by the Yakima Valley Rail and Steam Museum Association. Interchange is made at Othello with the Columbia Basin Railroad.
Toppenish, Simcoe and Western Railroad (TSWR) - A shortline and tourist railroad that operates on the ex-Northern Pacific branch between Toppenish, WA and White Swan, WA. The railroad is operated by volunteers of the Yakima Valley Rail and Steam Museum Association. Excursion runs operate in the Fall. Saturdays in September and October. In the Spring, special excursion runs for school children are conducted between Harrah and White Swan.
Tacoma Eastern Railroad (TE) - A shortline railroad owned by the City of Tacoma. The line stretches from Tacoma to Frederickson. At Frederickson, it goes west to Chehalis, WA and south to Morton, WA. In addition to freight operations, a section of the line between Elbe, WA and Mineral Lake, WA has steam-train tourist excursions that are operated by the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad. A dinner train, also operated by the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad, is conducted over TE trackage in the foothills of Mount Rainier.
