MORTON, Wash. — After a 22-year absence, rail service has returned to Morton, which lies 60 miles south of Tacoma, the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce reported.
In a test run, Tacoma Rail picked up a freight car of lumber at the Tubafor Mill, hauled it to Tacoma for interchange with the Union Pacific Railroad for delivery to Texas.
“We’ve rehabilitated some 100 miles of track in the last four years,” said Dennis Dean, Tacoma Rail superintendent. “The ability to move freight in an out of Morton by rail opens economic development opportunities both in East Lewis County and in Tacoma.”
Rail freight service to Morton ceased in 1980 when the Milwaukee Railroad went bankrupt. The city of Tacoma finished acquiring the 132-mile line in 1995.