The dispatch on April 29 of a Coos Bay Rail Link-CBR freight train carrying the first rail shipment of plywood out of the Roseburg Forest Products mill marked the full restoration of freight rail service on the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay’s 134-mile Coos Bay rail line.

The port purchased the line in 2009-2010 and is nearing completion of a $31 million rehabilitation project. Federal and state investments in the line have brought on-the-ground improvements to every single mile of tracks between Coquille and Rail Link’s connection in Eugene to the North American rail system. In April, repairs were completed on two critical wooden trestles, opening the remaining 20 miles of rail line to Coquille.

"Moving product by rail directly out of Coquille can eliminate up to 18 truckloads per day of material being shipped to another mill, where it then is loaded on a rail car,” said Jeff Brandt, director of transportation for Roseburg Forest Products. "This will not only allow us to be more competitive by reducing our costs, but it will benefit the community and environment by reducing highway traffic and emissions.”

Roseburg also uses the rail line to transport wood chips to its export shipping terminal on Coos Bay. The company is one of 11 manufacturers and agricultural producers who have shipped wood products, steel, chromite ore and organic cattle feed over the line since 2011.

"Shippers moved 2,480 rail cars of commodities across the Coos Bay rail line in 2012. We expect to double shipments on the rail line this year now that we have service to Coquille,” said Scott Parkinson, president of the Coos Bay Rail Link-CBR, which operates the railroad.

The Coos Bay Rail Link began freight rail operations in October 2011 and now employs 12 people, with a total payroll exceeding $500,000.

"We, as a community, have done the impossible,” exclaimed Port CEO David Koch. "We’ve accomplished what so many naysayers said couldn’t be done.”