Oregon port marks full restoration of Coos Bay line

On Monday, a Coos Bay Rail Link (CBR) train moved a shipment of plywood out of the Roseburg Forest Products mill in Coquille, Ore., marking the full restoration of the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay's 134-mile Coos Bay line since the route was closed more than five years ago.

Late late month, Billeter Marine and Scott Partney Construction completed the final step of repairing two wooden trestles to open the remaining 20 miles of the line to Coquille. The port purchased the line in 2009 and spent $31 million to rehabilitate the route.

"Federal and state investments in the line have brought on-the-ground improvements to every single mile of track between Coquille and the rail line's connection in Eugene to the North American rail system," port officials said in a press release.

The line's operator, CBR, launched operations in October 2011 and now serves 11 manufacturers and agricultural producers on the route.

"Shippers moved 2,480 rail cars of commodities across the Coos Bay rail line in 2012. We expect to double shipments on the rail line this year now that we have service to Coquille," said CBR President Scott Parkinson.

Roseburg Forest Products officials hailed the return of rail service to the company's Coquille mill.

"Moving product by rail directly out of Coquille can eliminate up to 18 truckloads per day of material being shipped to another mill, where it then is loaded on a rail car, said Roseburg Forest Products' Director of Transportation Jeff Brandt. "This will not only allow us to be more competitive by reducing our costs, but it will benefit the community and environment by reducing highway traffic and emissions."