MARCH 2008: AROUND THE STATE
RailAmerica wants help
COOS BAY
Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad between Eugene and Coos
Bay continue to butt heads with Gov. Ted Kulongoski. Without
notice, the company closed the 126-mile line last fall after a
safety inspection found rotten beams and dislodged rocks in
three tunnels. In a Feb. 4 letter to Kulongoski, RailAmerica
vice president Paul Lundberg agreed to pay the estimated $2.9
million to repair the tunnels and reopen the track, but
stipulated the fix would be paid for only if the state agrees
to fund the remaining $20.4 million in additional maintenance
and operating costs to ensure long-term viability of the line.
Kulongoski responded in a Feb. 12 letter: “I cannot
commit to any partnership until after the lines are
reopened.” Meanwhile, wood-product companies on the
Oregon Coast have been forced to pay more to truck their
materials. And Port of Coos Bay officials are exploring legal
strategies to force RailAmerica to either fix the track or sell
it, says executive director Jeff Bishop. “This cannot go
on indefinitely,” he says. Repeated calls to RailAmerica
were not returned.
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