Colfax joins support of rail-to-trail proposal

Colfax Mayor Todd Vanek reported Colfax has now agreed to join with Pullman, Albion, Moscow and other backers for conversion of the former Union Pacific railroad link to a Colfax-Pullman trail. Representatives of Pullman and the Pullman Civic Trust met with city officials last month and outlined their approach to the proposal.

Vanek said Colfax earlier had withheld full endorsement of the trail proposal until they knew whether or not railroad service would be restored along the line. The railroad in recent years had been operated by WATCO which still operates the former UP system on the west side of the county.

Vanek said other supporters of the Colfax-Pullman trail project were encouraged by the addition of Colfax to the groups supporting the proposal. He said they believe Colfax was the last town along the line to get behind the project.

The Colfax-Pullman rail link was severed in August of 2006 by the range fire which destroyed the railroad trestle across the South Fork of the Palouse River west of Risbeck. The Risbeck elevator was also destroyed by the fire which swept the valley of the South Palouse.

State estimates for replacing the trestle and bringing the rest of the railroad up to operating condition have been in the range of $9 million according to Karl Boehmke, head of the trails committee of the Pullman Civic Trust.

Another segment of the railroad was removed last summer when the contractor on the South Main project removed the crossing in Colfax as part of the rebuild project on Highway 195.

Colfax has also been notified by Bob Westby, administrator for the state-owned Palouse River and Coulee City Railroad system, that the state is considering removal of five more of the former UP rail crossings on the east side of Main Street in Colfax. Westby, who is based in Spokane, sent a proposal which asked whether or not the City of Colfax would be able to surface the streets where the crossings would be removed.

Colfax has sought conversion of the in-town segment of the railroad from the S. Main crossing northbound along the west side of the flood channel. The link has been seen as a possible alternate route for bicycle riders. The idea of the proposal is to get most of that traffic off Main Street.

Vanek noted conversion of the Colfax-Pullman segment would extend a trail system which now runs from Pullman via the Chipman Trail to Moscow and then south to Troy via the Latah Trail.

The actual right-of-way for the railroad is now owned by the State of Washington.

Pullman City Supervisor Mark Workman April 4 said he anticipates a meeting on the rails-to-trails proposal will be conducted next month in Pullman. Workman noted Pullman Civic Trust was one of the key organizations in the development of the Chipman Trail, including fund raising.

Albion officials and Latah Trail supporters have also signed onto the idea of converting the railroad.