What is the status of the Ports purchase of the Eastside Rail Corridor?
The Port of Seattle, BNSF Railway and King County signed acquisition agreements in May, 2008, that will result in the Ports acquisition and receipt by donation of the 42-mile Eastside rail corridor from BNSF. The Port and King County plan to rail-bank the southern portion of the corridor for a long-term future transportation corridor. Commercial freight use will continue on the northern section from Woodinville to Snohomish via a third-party shortline operator leasing the tracks from the Port. In earlier discussions between the parties, this transaction proposed additional properties such as King County International Airport and Fisher Mills on Harbor Island. These elements are no longer viable options and are not part of the negotiations.
