Not so fast. Richland railroad repairs must wait amid federal grant uncertainty
The Port of Benton’s dream of rehabilitating 16 miles of tired railroad tracks running through the heart of Richland may have to wait amid uncertainty around a freeze on federal grants.
The port and local motorists were thrilled in January when the U.S. Department of Transportation approved $9.6 million to help the port replace thousands of failing ties and rail on the line it calls the White Bluffs Southern Connection.
The project was a win that promised speedier trains in Richland and an end to 20-minute wait times for drivers at some crossings.
The money was part of a $1.3 billion package of infrastructure grants awarded in the final days of the Biden administration.
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., announced that $56 million of the money would pay for projects in Washington, including the nearly $10 million headed to Richland on Jan. 7.
The Southern Connection, she noted, “is in desperate need of repair.”
1.3M tons of fries
BNSF Railway, Union Pacific Railroad and Columbia Rail collectively move more than 1.3 million tons of grain, frozen french fries and other goods each year. Their trains are limited to 10 mph on much of the track and 5 mph on some stretches.
That translates to waits as long as 20 minutes for drivers.
The repair project would restore the Richland railroad to Class II status, allowing trains to move at 25 mph.
The grant money is set to replace 12,000 ties between Columbia Center and Horn Rapids Road, and would have replace full sections of rail in the Richland Wye area and along elevated curves.
Funding in doubt
Port officials vowed to move quickly when they first learned of the grant. Work would start within 60 days of hiring a contractor.
Funding was called into doubt after the Trump administration took office on Jan. 20.
The new and returning administration froze federal grant payments before a judge blocked the freeze. The status remains unclear. Diahann Howard, the port’s executive director, doesn’t expect clarity before late spring or summer.
“At the very least it will unfortunately delay our rail tie grant that is needed to support our local value-add agriculture to serve domestic and international markets,” she told the Tri-City Herald.
Murray’s office confirmed that rail project is part of more than $70 billion in DOT funding that remains frozen.
Enduring priority
Repairing the railroad is an enduring priority for the Port of Benton, the economic development entity responsible for much of western Benton County.
The railroad was builtin 1947 to connect the Hanford site to the main railroad lines in Kennewick.
The Department of Energy transferred it to the port in 1988 to support local economic development interests. The port in turn turned it over to a contractor, Tri-City Railroad, to provide short-line services connecting Richland businesses to the main railroads.
The relationship deteriorated until 2022, when Tri-City Railroad vacated the line following a long-running lawsuit and eviction procedures.
An inspection revealed thousands of ties were at risk of failure.. That forced trains to move at a crawl.
This story was originally published February 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM.