The Port of Vancouver received a visit from federal officials stressing the importance of investments in transportation as a way to grow the economy.
Late last week, Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo spent time at Clark County’s largest port reviewing early construction work on a rail connection that will link the Port of Vancouver to BNSF Railway’s east-west mainline.
“A world-class transportation network is the foundation of America’s economic success,” said Szabo. “These investments create American jobs in construction and manufacturing, increase America’s exports, and make the Pacific Northwest a better place to start a business or hire new employees.”
The BNSF project, which will reduce delays caused by track crossover of freight and Amtrak Cascades trains, is one in a series of improvements funded through an $814 million investment the U.S. Department of Transportation is making in the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor through the High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Program.
Last year, according to the port, more than 49,000 railcars passed through the transportation hub. Port activities supported nearly 17,000 direct and indirect jobs in 2010 and injected $1.7 billion into Southwest Washington’s economy.
In addition to his stop at the Port of Vancouver, Szabo visited King Street Station in Seattle where investments will pay for upgrades to the rail corridor that runs north-south between Vancouver, British Columbia and Eugene, Oregon.
A result of federal investments, the state of Washington anticipates the number of intercity round trips to increase from four to six, trip times between Portland and Seattle to be reduced, and fewer delays for rail passengers.
