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On Dec. 24, the Port of Vancouver USA announced Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) helped secure the largest federal appropriation to date for the West Vancouver Freight Access project.

The $2.9 million appropriation, which was included in the final version of the FY2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act, will help fund the construction of rail lines in and around the port, including a loop at the new Terminal 5.

To be completed in 2017, the $137 million West Vancouver Freight Access project is designed to expand rail service to maritime customers and industrial tenants in the Vancouver, Wash., region. The project would reduce congestion and boost train velocity by converging BNSF Railway Co.’s north-south and east-west mainlines, which are a major choke point in the area, according to the port.