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Recent Progress
WSDOT will complete an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) of the entire project area. Currently, the EIS is on hold pending the release of the Amtrak Cascades Long Range Plan.
As this planning process has moved forward, pre-construction engineering cost estimates have risen to $459 million. While some portions of the project may be funded by the BNSF, the high costs of the project and the absence of a federal grant program for high-speed rail development have caused WSDOT to consider ways to phase the project using available state funds. Unfortunately, potential phases that have been identified for this project are more expensive than available funds.
WSDOT is aware that freight rail infrastructure needs in this congested area must be addressed. WSDOT has identified a way to use $14 million of the $50 million in state funds to increase main line capacity and operational flexibility near the Port of Kalama and the train station in Kelso. These funds could be used to construct a series of crossovers that will allow trains to transfer between main line tracks and help improve Amtrak Cascades on-time performance.
In early December 2005, WSDOT met with the Ports of Longview, Kalama, and Woodland to discuss the Kelso-Martin’s Bluff Rail Project. WSDOT understands that any proposal to alter the project will be discussed with the port districts, and the outcome of a scaled-down project would need to be coordinated with the BNSF Railway, WSDOT, and the local ports.
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