PCC Railway Slated To Undergo Improvements

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, a project to improve 34 miles of railroad track between Davenport and Wilbur recently received a $37.7 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration.  DOT says the grant, from the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program, will be used to continue enhancements on the state-owned Palouse River and Coulee City (PCC) rail system.

Another $20.3 million in state and private matching funds were contributed toward this project.  This recent grant is in addition to two previous federal grants for PCC system upgrades; One in 2018 for $5.6 million and another in 2023 for $72.8 million.  These grants were matched with a total of $45 million in state, local and private funds.  Capital projects funded by these two grants benefit the PCC system in Grant, Lincoln, Spokane, Adams and Whitman counties.

With these funds, the 100-year-old worn rail will be replaced with new heavy 115-pound rail, which can accommodate today’s modern 286,000-pound rail cars.  Once the new rail is installed, track speeds will increase from 10 to 25 mph, enabling agricultural products to move more quickly to national and international markets. 

These improvements align with the 2015 PCC Rail System Strategic Plan, which serves as a blueprint for investments on the state’s longest short-line railroad. 

The PCC Rail Authority — an intergovernmental entity formed by the counties — oversees the business and economic development portions of the operating leases.

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