EUGENE, Ore. — After spending four years considering what to do with the Willamette Valley passenger rail line, Oregon officials are leaning toward maintaining the status quo.
The Register-Guard reports that the Oregon Department of Transportation is planning to keep the passenger rail line in its current location on the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. The railroad owners focus on moving freight, causing delays for passengers.
The transportation department hopes to take public comment and have a final plan in 2018. The Federal Railroad Administration has the final say.
High-speed rail proponents hoped for a bullet train travelling up to 120 mph parallel to Interstate 5. That plan would require building a new rail line and stations and a draft environmental impact statement says it would be very expensive.
