Editorial: Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad

How many years has it been since America’s railroads were a source of national pride, a symbol of adventure, travel, power and punctuality?

Reduced to slow-rolling billboards for gangs while hauling the most pedestrian of loads might have been their ultimate insult, but it wasn’t. Now, the rail line from Coos Bay doesn’t merit even that low attention.

For nearly a year the train hasn’t shuffled down those tracks. Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad (CORP), recognizing that years of deterioration had resulted in serious safety hazards, especially in tunnels, closed the line. The abrupt closure disrupted shipping from local timber operations, and others such as American Bridge.

That may not mean as much to people and businesses who did not rely upon the railroad, but for those who do, especially in these days of high fuel costs, the closure was enormously detrimental. For timber-dependent communities in the area already struggling with employment and economic issues, this has been particularly stressful.

While hordes of semitrucks add to the cost and demand issues associated with petroleum products, adverse environmental impact, and diminished life span of our highways, it is difficult to justify the continued neglect of our rail lines.

A group of rail users formed the Coos-Siskiyou Shippers Coalition to protest the closure of the local line and to seek a solution. During the past several months Sens. Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith, Rep. Peter DeFazio, and Gov. Ted Kulongoski have all been involved in attempts to find resolution to this multimillion dollar dilemma.

The saga of contentious debates, proposals and counterproposals have been regularly reported in The News-Review. A search of nrtoday.com will provide interested readers with the background.

The governing federal Surface Transportation Board will focus on this issue when it comes to Eugene Aug. 21 to take testimony on applications by the Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad to abandon its Coos Bay line and by the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay to take it over.

Among the issues complicating the resolution of this matter is CORP’s intention to abandon only 94 miles of the line and simultaneously discontinue service on 22 miles of track between Coos Bay and Coquille that it leases from Union Pacific and another two miles near Gardiner leased from the Longview Portland and Northern Railway Co.

The hearings, which would have been held in Washington, D.C., will be held at the Wayne L. Morse U.S. Courthouse, 405 E. Eighth Ave., in Eugene. The hearing on the applications will take place beginning at 9:30 a.m. in Room 2200.

We appreciate the board’s willingness to make it easier for people in rural Oregon, who are most affected by this loss of critical service, to participate in securing resolution.

The deadline for people wishing to address the board has passed but we expect to see good representation from the many people who have been involved in this issue so critical to our community.