RSVP below to hear an update on our research into enhanced rail service for Snake River area grain.
Tuesday, August 16
6:30 pm Pacific / 7:30 pm Mountain
Snake River salmon and steelhead are on the verge of extinction. This is largely due to the four Lower Snake River (LSR) dams that impede their movement to and from the ocean. These fish are the cultural foundation of NW Indigenous peoples whose treaty protected rights are being violated. This extinction is inevitable unless the four dams are breached.
The Snake River dams were built for a different era to support obsolete visions that never came to fruition, sacrificing wild fish, the wild river and the people who depended on both. The massively subsidized barge system made it extremely difficult for a once robust rail network to survive. Abandoned track, tunnels and trestles and agricultural infrastructure sit dormant. The rail that was saved by the Washington State Department of Transportation, a few shortline railroads, and a few access points to the BNSF and UP mainlines still play a critical role in providing farmers with options to trucking long distances to barges. A pivot away from LSR barging and back to rail service that provides price competition and capacity when needed requires investment and vision.
Solutionary Rail is working to coalesce that vision from the historical service, current rail operators, and the needs of farmers and communities. We are confident that there is a path that reconciles the needs of shippers without sacrificing the river, the salmon, and the people whose lives and cultures rely upon them. Breaching the dams and reshaping the freight transportation system for greater efficiency and even energy generation will deliver a more reliable, resilient and sustainable region, where no one is left behind.
Solutionary Rail has compiled our research on how modeshift from barge to rail can happen quickly and a more resilient system built before, during and after the dams are breached.
Our final report, slide deck and recommended actions for enhanced rail service is now complete:
We want to share and discuss our latest findings with you. RSVP below to join us.
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