Train to the Mountain long way off

By John Larson

Tacoma Weekly
jlarson@tacomaweekly.com
Published on: December 06, 2007

Tacoma City Council members seemed split during their Dec. 4 study session on whether to continue investing in the long-planned Train to the Mountain project.

The city bought a freight railroad in the 1990s to subsidize the tourist train. Instead, the Mountain Division has become a drain on the city's general fund. The city wants to transfer it to Tacoma Public Utilities, which runs the successful Tidelands Division of Tacoma Rail.

Mountain Division has $2 million in debt, $4.55 million in outstanding loans from the city, and seeks another $1.7 million loan.

Al Tebaldi from consulting firm David Evans and Associates discussed a study done on the tourist train.

One-way travel time to Paradise at Mount Rainier could not exceed three hours.

Upgrading the track to Elbe would cost $11 million, while upgrading to Ashford would cost $24 million. Riders would still need to board a shuttle bus for the final leg to Paradise. It is highly unlikely a train would be allowed into the park, and Ashford is the terminus preferred by the National Park Service.

The firm recommends a third-party operator to run the excursion train, and federal grants for track improvements.

Riders would not pay more than $150 for a ticket, and would expect a meal and some sort of entertainment or educational component.

"We think there is a lot of interest out there," said Alan Hardy, assistant superintendent for Tacoma Rail. "Someone could make a profit from this."

Hardy said $3 million in grants were secured last year for track improvements. Funding for improvements to get to Ashford could take between eight and 24 years.

Councilmember Jake Fey said the city could lose between $40-50 million on the Mountain Division during that time. He expressed hesitation. "We can go along and go along and go along," he said.

"I think our primary responsibility needs to be developing freight customers," said Councilmember Tom Stenger. He wants track improvements to Eatonville to accomplish this. "It is not going to be tomorrow and not in a few years."

Stenger noted the Tidelands railroad lost money for many years. It eventually led to a booming port and industrial activity at Frederickson. "It is absolutely essential to our future economic development," he said of the Mountain line.

Councilmember Rick Talbert said he considers it an asset, and suggested having Port of Tacoma involved in its operation. "They certainly benefit greatly from this."

Mayor Bill Baarsma said Boeing could triple its operation at Frederickson, while Toray Composites could double in size. This could boost the Mountain line's business.

"This is seductive," said Councilmember Julie Anderson, adding that it is easy "to be sucked in by the magic of it all."

She said her priority is freight traffic and protecting the environment. "It is also about preservation of a natural treasure," she remarked.

There was discussion of Spirit of Washington dinner train, which halted operating its runs on this track after three months this year. "You don't do this same thing over and over and expect different results," said Councilmember Mike Lonergan.

Councilmember Connie Ladenburg noted that it suffered because it ended at Lake Kapowsin, not Mount Rainier. "It ended up in the middle of nowhere next to a lake."

TPU Board Chair Bob Casey fears the Tidelands line would end up subsidizing the Mountain line.

"With debt, this is going to be a tough one to swallow," added board member Laura Fox.

At a recent conference, Fox said people from other cities that operate similar trains advised against them, as almost all lose money. Fox said due to cultural shifts, many tourists are avoiding national parks, opting for visits to spas, resorts and wineries on their vacations.

Train to the Mountain long way off

By John Larson

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