(The King County Journal published the following story by Jeff Switzer on its website on October 9.)
KENT, Wash. — The railroad line from Renton to Woodinville — home to the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train — might be for sale.
For more than a decade, that line has been eyed as a possible future light-rail corridor running parallel to Interstate 405.
State transportation officials were recently approached by representatives of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, said state Transportation Secretary Doug MacDonald.
“They came to us a week or two ago and said they’d like a sit-down to discuss their future plans” for the Renton-Woodinville line, MacDonald told the Journal on Wednesday.
“It’s premature to jump to any conclusion on what the outcome might be. It really just came on the horizon and a lot of people will be very interested.”
MacDonald said he wants to discuss the rail line property with the Senate and House transportation chairmen for advice on the next steps.
“It’s not clear yet what all would be involved or what the options are,” MacDonald said. “The local governments have to get involved, and the Legislature. We wouldn’t make this decision without a lot of thought.”
Details from the railroad were scarce. “BNSF is always studying the status of various lines of low profitability, systemwide, and one area under current review is the Woodinville line,” said spokesman Gus Melonas. “We are looking into alternatives for this line, which is consistent practice in this type of situation.”
Melonas wouldn’t give details.
The line runs through downtown Renton, along the Lake Washington waterfront and parallel to Interstate 405, then travels up the Sammamish River Valley to the Columbia Winery and Woodinville.
The route was studied in 1987 as a possible Eastside light-rail route, to no end. The Dinner Train began operations on those tracks in Renton in 1992.
Two years ago, debates over whether to expand I-405 included some discussions of a light-rail line on those tracks, or a possible $300 million expenditure to preserve the land for transportation.
“This thing been under discussion since time immemorial,” MacDonald said.
No action was taken because the line has actively carried the Dinner Train and an occasional Boeing shipment.
“It should be improved for a transportation corridor,” said Jim Cusick, commuter rail advocate with Washington Association of Railroad Passengers, a pro-rail lobbying group.
Cusick, a Bothell computer programmer and former member of the I-405 advisory committee, pushed to have some kind of commuter rail — light rail or heavy rail — along the BNSF line. Renton officials and Kennydale residents opposed the move and it went no farther.
Until now.
“I’m in the minority: pro rail and pro high-capacity transit,” Cusick said. “I always thought the Eastside route was a cost-effective way to get rail on the Eastside.”
He sympathizes with neighbors who live near the tracks, but said commuter trains could be quieter than freight trains. Also, the Dinner Train might be able to share the tracks with commuter trains and freight trains, he said.
“If it’s lost as a rail line, it would be an unfortunate event,” Cusick said.