Rail transport in Oregon

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Rail transport is an important element of the transportation network in the state of Oregon. Rail has existed in the state in some form since 1855^[1][2] and the state was a pioneer in development of electric railway systems. While the automobile has displaced many uses of rail in the state (as elsewhere), rail remains a key means of moving passengers and freight, both within the state and to points beyond its borders.

Contents 1 The rail network today 1.1 Freight rail in Oregon 1.1.1 Union Pacific 1.1.2 Burlington Northern Santa Fe 1.1.3 Portland Terminal Railroad 1.1.4 Short lines in Oregon 1.2 Passenger Rail 1.2.1 Amtrak 1.2.2 Transit and commuter rail 1.2.3 Tourist railways 2 References 3 External links

[edit] The rail network today

As of 2004, the state of Oregon has over 2,400 route-miles (3,900 km) of track, and 170 miles (274 km) of railroad right-of-way after peaking in the 1930s at about 4,350 miles (7,001 km) of track.^[3] Oregon is served by two Class 1 railroads, which account for over 1100 miles (1,770 km) of trackage, and over twenty Class 2 and Class 3 operators. Three Amtrak routes serve the state, primarily through the Willamette Valley and south-central Oregon.^[4] Rail is a key element of the mass transit system in the city of Portland and surrounding communities. And numerous tourist railways operate in the state.

[edit] Freight rail in Oregon

Oregon is currently served by two Class 1 railroads, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) and the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR). Prior to its acquisition by the UPRR in 1996, Oregon was also served by the Southern Pacific Railroad; the UP continues to operate on tracks acquired from the SPRR.

[edit] Union Pacific

The UPRR operates several mainlines in the state. The primary north/south UP mainline enters Oregon from California south of Klamath Falls, runs north through Central Oregon up to Chemult, then proceeds northwest via the Willamette Pass to Eugene. From Eugene, it then turns north again up the Willamette Valley, passing through cities including Albany, Salem, Woodburn, Canby, Oregon City, Milwaukie, terminating in Portland. The primary east/west UP mainline starts in Portland and heads east towards Troutdale where it enters the Columbia Gorge. It passes through the gorge on the Oregon side, serving cities such as Hood River, The Dalles, Boardman, and Hermiston. In the Hermiston area, the line branches; with one line heading northeast to Spokane, Washington; the other heading southeast (roughly parallel to the old Oregon Trail and modern-day Interstate 84, passing through Pendleton, La Grande, Baker City, and Ontario before entering Idaho.

In addition to the mainlines, the UPRR also operates several branch lines in the state, serving the terminal district of Portland, the city of Umatilla, and the community of Pilot Rock.

[edit] Burlington Northern Santa Fe

The BNSF operates one significant mainline in the state, serving Central Oregon. The BNSF line enters the state southeast of Klamath Falls, joining the UPRR mainline there. The two lines share trackage between Klamath Falls and Chemult until the UPRR branches off towards Eugene; the BNSF continues in a northeasterly direction through central Oregon, providing service to Bend, Redmond, Madras. The line continues north of Madras along the Deschutes River until it interchanges with the UPRR mainline east of The Dalles; it then crosses the Columbia River and intersects with the BNSF mainline on the Washington side.

The BNSF also operates a mainline in the Portland area which is a key rail link despite having only approximately ten miles of trackage in Oregon; this link crosses the Columbia River into Vancouver, connecting with the BNSF line heading north to Seattle, as well as the BNSF line heading east along the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge, towards the Tri-Cities and Spokane. (Eastbound Amtrak service from Portland crosses into Vancouver and uses the BNSF tracks, not the UPRR tracks in Oregon).

[edit] Portland Terminal Railroad

The Portland Terminal Railroad (PTRC) is a joint venture of the UPRR and the BNSF, which operates several key rail lines, as well as the Guilds Lake Yard, within the city of Portland. The PTRR facilitates interchange between the two Class 1 railroads; each railways' trains are considered "home" while on PTRC trackage.^[5]

[edit] Short lines in Oregon

See also: List of Oregon railroads

In addition to the two Class 1 carriers, there are numerous short line operators in the state of Oregon, with miles of trackage. Many places in Oregon, such as Washington, Yamhill, Polk, and Benton counties in the Willamette Valley; numerous communities in the Cascade foothills, the Oregon Coast, all of Southwestern Oregon, and the Wallowa Mountains, are not reachable via the Class 1 mainlines.

Short line operators include:^[6]

• Albany and Eastern Railroad. This railway provides service to Albany, Lebanon, and Sweet Home.^[7]
• Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad (CORP), a subsidiary of RailAmerica, provides service to Southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. Main line is former SP line over Siskiyou Pass between Eugene and Weed, California; cities served include Eugene, Cottage Grove, Roseburg, Grants Pass, Medford, and Ashland. Until September 2007, operated a second line from Eugene to Coquille via Florence, Reedsport, and Coos Bay. However, this latter line has been closed.^[8]
• City of Prineville Railway. Connects the BNSF mainline in Redmond with the city of Prineville.^[9]
• Hampton Railway. Serves the Hampton lumber mill in Fort Hill, Oregon; interchanges with the PNWR in Willamina.
• Idaho Northern and Pacific Railroad (INPR). Runs from the UPRR mainline in LaGrande to Elgin.^[10]
• Klamath Northern. Operates a 10.6 mile (17 km) branch line in Central Oregon, connecting Gilchrest to the UPRR mainline.^[11]
• Modoc Northern Railroad. Serves Central Oregon and northern California; in particular the Oregon cities of Klamath Falls and Lakeview.^[12]
• Mount Hood Railroad (MHRR). Connects Hood River with Parkdale. Primarily an excursion railway, but does handle some freight.^[13]
• Oregon Pacific Railroad. Operates two branch lines off the UPRR mainline, one serving the Sellwood neighborhood of Portland; the other connecting Liberal to the mainline in Canby.
• Palouse River and Coulee City Railroad (PCC). Operates two branch lines in the state, one from Arlington to Shutler; the other from Walla Walla, Washington to Milton-Freewater and Weston.
• Peninsula Terminal Company (PTRR). Serves terminal operations in north Portland.
• Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad (POTB). Operates between Tillamook and the Portland metropolitan area, interchanges with the PNWR in Washington County.^[14]
• Portland and Western Railroad (PNWR)/Willamette and Pacific Railroad (WPRR). Provides service to much of northwestern Oregon, including the lower Columbia River (Astoria, Rainier, St. Helens), Portland's western suburbs (Beaverton, Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Tualatin, Sherwood, and Wilsonville), much of the Willamette Valley (Newberg, McMinnville, Salem, Albany, Eugene, Corvallis), and the coastal city of Toledo.^[15]
• Wallowa Union Railroad Authority. Runs between the INPR in Elgin, and Enterprise.
• WCTU Railway. Provides service to White City.
• Willamette Valley Railway. Runs from the UPRR mainline in Woodburn to Stayton, serving the cities of Mt. Angel and Silverton.
• Wyoming and Colorado Railroad. Runs from the UPRR mainline in Ontario to Vale and Celatom.

[edit] Passenger Rail

Rail is also used in the state to provide both long-haul passenger service, as well as commuter and intra-urban transit, and excursion trains.

[edit] Amtrak

Long-haul passenger service is provided by Amtrak, which operates in Oregon on the north-south Union Pacific mainline south of Portland, and on BNSF tracks into Washington to the north and east. Three Amtrak routes provide service to Oregon:

• The Coast Starlight, running from Seattle, Washington to Los Angeles, California provides service to Portland, Salem, Albany, Eugene, Chemult, and Klamath Falls.^[16]
• The Amtrak Cascades, running from Vancouver, BC to Eugene, serves Portland, Oregon City, Salem, Albany, and Eugene.^[17]
• The Empire Builder, running from Portland to Chicago, Illinois, provides service to Portland. Immediately after departing Portland, the train crosses into Washington, and does not serve any other Oregon community. ^[18]

In Portland, the Amtrak depot is Union Station, located in downtown. Active Amtrak depots are also located in Oregon City, Salem, Albany, Eugene, Chemult, and Klamath Falls.

[edit] Transit and commuter rail

Rail transit is a key part of the local and regional transportation network in Portland and its surrounding communities. Two electric rail systems presently provide transit service, and a diesel-powered commuter rail system is under construction in nearby Washington County.

• The MAX Light Rail system, a 44.3 mi (71.3 km) light rail system operated by Tri-Met (the transit authority for the Portland area), presently serves the cities of Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Gresham on three separate lines. The MAX Blue Line opened in 1986, with service between Gresham and downtown Portland. An extension to this line opened in 1998, providing service to Beaverton and Hillsboro. The MAX Red Line opened in 2001, providing service to Portland International Airport, and the MAX Yellow Line opened in 2004, with service to north Portland. A fourth line is under construction which will provide service to Clackamas; in the future, service will be extended to Milwaukie^[19], and perhaps eventually to Oregon City and Vancouver, Washington.

• The Portland Streetcar is an electric-powered streetcar system which presently serves inner westside and downtown Portland. It runs between the Northwest district and the South Waterfront district, also providing service to the Pearl District, Portland State University, and Oregon Health and Science University. Unlike MAX, which primarily runs in its own right-of-way; the streetcar shares most of its right-of-way with vehicular traffic. The streetcar interchanges with both the MAX system and the Portland Aerial Tram.^[20]

• The Westside Express Service is a 14.7 mi (23.6 km) diesel-powered commuter rail system which will run between the cities of Beaverton and Wilsonville on existing freight trackage. It will also serve the cities of Tigard and Tualatin, and will interchange with MAX at the Beaverton Transit Center. The system is presently under construction and will open in 2008^[21][22].

[edit] Tourist railways

Numerous tourist and excursion, and heritage railways operate in the state of Oregon. Among them are:

• The Mount Hood Railroad provides excursion trains between the cities of Hood River and Parkdale.^[23] The railroad also provides limited freight service.
• The Willamette Shore Trolley operates between Portland and Lake Oswego.
• The Washington Park and Zoo Railroad is a narrow-gauge railroad in Portland's Washington Park which takes passengers around the grounds of the Oregon Zoo, with an additional stop near the parks's International Rose Test Garden and Portland Japanese Garden. A zoo admission is required to ride the train.^[24]
• The Sumpter Valley Railway, a steam-powered heritage railway between the Eastern Oregon towns of Sumpter and McEwen.^[25]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• State of Oregon: Oregon Railroads. Oregon Department of Transportation. Retrieved on 2007-10-05.
• Oregon Amtrak Passenger Routes (with inter-city bus routes). Oregon Department of Transportation. Retrieved on 2007-10-05.