Thursday, August 25, 2005 (Washington, DC) Farmers and manufacturing companies that use Tacoma Rail to ship their products will be able to move heavier loads and get them to market faster as a result of $2.4 million in federal grants to improve the railroad tracks, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced.

The short line railroad, owned and operated by the city of Tacoma, will use the grant funding to replace 17 miles of track with new and upgraded rail, including the installation of thousands of new crossties, on its Mountain Division Line between Tacoma and Frederickson. The improved track conditions will allow for an increase in weight loads, track speeds, and safety. In addition, the railroad will be able to handle the expected growth of freight traffic when a new grain trans-loading facility opens at Frederickson.

“This rail infrastructure investment will have long lasting positive economic benefits for the region,” said FRA Administrator Joseph H. Boardman. “Making an improvement in the transportation link between the local producer and world market opens economic opportunities,” he added.

The track upgrades will help move more quickly locally produced items such as grains, agri-mulch, cedar fencing, aluminum billets, steel pipe and farm and other heavy equipment to connections with major railroads or ships at the Port of Tacoma for destinations such as Japan and China.

This federal funding also supports the city of Tacoma’s long-term “Train to the Mountain” goal of restoring a passenger rail excursion service to transport visitors to the Upper Nisqually Valley and Mount Rainier National Park. This passenger service will one day use the same Tacoma Rail track as the existing freight operations.

The grants initially will be awarded to the Washington Department of Transportation.