Website: www.puc.idaho.gov
BNSF applies to abandon Coeur d’Alene rail line
The
BNSF Railway Company intends to file an application with the federal Surface
Transportation Board to abandon 2.12 miles of railroad right-of-way in Coeur
d’Alene. The rail line once served the Potlatch Mill location that is now The
Coeur d’Alene Golf Resort.
BNSF
indicates it will file a petition with the Department of Transportation’s
Surface Transportation Board to exempt the railroad from a longer abandonment
process and receive authorization in as few as 30 days. To be eligible for the
exemption, the railroad must certify that no rail traffic has moved on the line
for the past two years and there are no outstanding complaints about the lack
of rail service.
The
Idaho Public Utilities Commission does not make rail abandonment decisions. The
commission’s role is to determine if the abandonment 1) adversely affects the
area being served, 2) impairs the access of Idaho shippers to vital goods and
markets, and 3) whether the rail line has the potential for profitability. If the
commission determines the proposed abandonment is not in the public interest,
it files comments and represents the state before the Surface Transportation
Board.
The
section of right-of-way proposed for abandonment generally runs from Coeur
d’Alene City Park adjacent to Northwest Boulevard, across the front of The
Coeur d’Alene Resort, down East Front Avenue, following East Mullan Avenue and
terminating at the resort. Commission staff’s initial information about the
affected right-of-way indicates that the majority of the track was removed in
the 1980s. Consequently, there are no shippers on the line.
Persons
desiring to intervene in this matter to present evidence must file a Petition
to Intervene with the commission on or before April 26. Persons who want to
present their views without rights of participation and cross-examination are
not required to intervene and may comment in writing. Written comments are
accepted via e-mail by accessing the commission’s homepage at www.puc.idaho.gov and clicking on
"Comments & Questions." Fill in the case number (BNR-R-06-1) and
enter your comments. Comments can also be mailed to P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID
83720-0074 or faxed to (208) 334-3762.
A full text of the application, along with other documents related to this case, are available on the commission’s Web site. Click on “File Room” and then on “Rail Cases” and scroll down to the above case number.