Washington state port lets contract for new rail lines

The Port of Walla Walla Commission recently awarded a $2.38 million contract to H&H Engineering Construction Inc. to build additional rail lines at the Washington state port’s Dodd Road Industrial Park.

To be completed by June 30, the project calls for extending rail to a Railex distribution center in Wallula, Wash. — which can store up to 5 million cases of wine — and creating additional rail-car storage space.

The facility will receive four trains per week at the industrial park. Railex provides logistics services for temperature-controlled perishable products, including multi-modal transportation in partnership with Union Pacific Railroad.

H&H Engineering will construct about 5,775 linear feet of rail, install switches, build gravel service roads and perform other work.

The rail improvements are necessary to accommodate the park's growth, port officials said in press release.