The Port of Benton has achieved Class I track status for its Southern Connection, a 16-mile short line rail network that spans from the Union Pacific main line near the Columbia Center Mall in Kennewick, Wash., to the north end of the Horn Rapids Industrial Park in Richland, Wash., and is leased to Columbia Rail for management, maintenance, and operation.
This follows the completion of “major construction projects,” the Richmond, Wash.-based Port reported Sept. 22. Its rail line (see map, right) was acquired from the U.S. Department of Energy in 1998. The region’s industries are said to ship the second-highest tonnage of goods (primarily frozen fries and feed for local dairies) in the state—1.3 million tons annually—on the Port’s line.
Since 2015, the Port said it has invested “substantial resources” into revitalizing the track. The most recent improvements include the replacement of five road crossings and the installation of 3,400 new ties.
The Port also reported that it is in the process of contracting for a $9.56 million federal grant through the Rebuilding America Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program, now referred to as the 2025 Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program. Combined with $2.4 million in matching funds from the Port, the grant will support replacing approximately four miles of what it called “undersized, 75-plus-year-old track,” upgrading two additional crossings, and installing roughly 9,000 additional ties. The project was announced earlier this year. (Download details from the U.S. Department of Transportation award document below. Search Port of Benton.)
These upgrades, scheduled to begin next summer and wrap up by the end of 2027, will allow the track classification to move to Class 2 status, allowing train speeds to increase from 10 mph to up to 25 mph and “significantly improving safety for both trains and the public,” according to the Port, which noted that vehicle delays at crossings are expected to drop from more than 15 minutes to as little as four minutes.
“This investment marks a transformative moment for our region’s infrastructure,” Port of Benton Executive Director Diahann Howard said. “We’re not only improving safety and efficiency but also laying the groundwork for future economic growth.”
Additionally, the Port is following its Comprehensive Plan (scroll down to download), the Port of Benton and City of Richland Rail Master Plan, City of Richland/Port of Benton North Horn Rapids Area Master Plan, and Port of Benton Transportation Improvement Program to plan a rail intermodal facility or inland port on undeveloped industrial land in north Richland in partnership with the City of Richland (scroll down to download rail intermodal facility plan).
UP and BNSF serve the Port, which handles agricultural products, breakbulk, bulk, heavy lift, project cargo, and ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off).
