Working on the railroad

By BRIAN WALKER

Staff Writer

BNSF Railway is on track to construct $50 million in projects in North Idaho this summer, but company officials say that doesn't automatically mean more trains will be moving through.

Work recently began on constructing a second set of tracks parallel to existing ones from BNSF's refueling depot near Hauser through Rathdrum and into the Athol area to address a bottleneck and ease congestion, said Gus Melonas, BNSF spokesman.

"The track work doesn't dictate volume... " Melonas said. "Volumes fluctuate based on customer demand. The numbers will inevitably grow and decline."

Melonas said the 10 miles of new double-track capacity will solve a bottleneck issue of lines converging in the region.

"This will enhance our efficiency and is part of our commitment to safely move products that are demanded by our customers," he said.

The project is expected to finish later this year.

Melonas said trains at the refueling depot are disconnected during the process, so a second set of tracks will improve efficiency there as well.

An average of 60 BNSF trains move through North Idaho each day. However, the number of coal and oil trains rolling through has decreased to two to three coal trains per day and an average of two oil trains, Melonas said.

Whether the number of trains traveling through North Idaho increases or decreases in the foreseeable future is totally dependent on customer demand, he said.

"There is always an anxious customer waiting at the end of the line," Melonas said. "The backbone to a successful railroad is a strong track structure. We're in the business of moving freight. If the volumes are there, we will haul it."

In 2015, BNSF asked the city of Rathdrum to start preparing for a second set of tracks. With work recently starting, curiosity about what the rail traffic will look like is rising. The city and BNSF began meeting about the project in November 2014.

Rathdrum resident Mark Johnson said only time will tell if there will be more wait times at rail crossings.

"I may not like it, but there really isn't much I can do about it," he said. "Put up with it or move."

City Administrator Leon Duce said the city is working with BNSF to protect city water lines under the new set of tracks.

Duce said the one concern the city has with another track is the waiting area for motorists on Highway 53 and Mill Street.

"The concern is that if there is an increase in rail traffic that there will not be enough holding space on Highway 53," he said.

Duce said the city hasn’t had many calls about the new set of tracks — yet.

"I would expect that we will not have those calls until the increase of railroad traffic happens," he said.

City officials have said they've had a good relationship working with BNSF, which donated property for a fire station in Rathdrum several years ago, and have taken a neutral position on the second set of tracks because they're being built on the railroad's property.

BNSF is also moving forward with design and engineering for a second bridge over Lake Pend Oreille near Sandpoint.

BNSF started the project in 2014 and, despite a delay, the company always had the intention of moving forward with the project, Melonas said. Construction will start in 2018 at the earliest. Load testing of driven piles near Dog Beach is being performed this year.

When the project is complete, trains will run in both directions across the bridge, reducing the need for engineers to slow down or stop as they wait for clearance to cross. As a result, drivers could see shorter wait times on nearby roads and streets that cross BNSF tracks, Melonas said.

"This is the equivalent to adding a lane on a highway; it allows for a more fluid flow of traffic," he said.