Re-opening of the rail line will be celebrated during Dayton on Tour

DAYTON – After several years of embargo on a portion of the track in need of repairs, the The Port of Columbia’s short line railroad is ready to resume full service. A Grand Re-opening Celebration is planned for 10 am Sat., Oct. 7 at the Dayton Historic Depot, at 222 E Commercial St. in Dayton.

After a short ribbon-cutting celebration, attendees are invited to visit with the rail operator and climb aboard the engine.coffee and treats will be served.

The Port of Columbia owns 37 miles of railroad spanning Columbia and Walla Walla counties, and providing service from Dayton to Walla Walla. A section of line between Prescott and Dayton has been closed for nearly three years due to needed repairs on eight bridges as well as a section of track near the Touchet River that was suffering from bank erosion.

A combination of funds from the Washington State Dept of Transportation Rail Bank, Port of Columbia matching funds, private shipper matching funds, and contributions from the port’s rail operator made the repairs possible.

Frontier Rail, LLC leases the rail line from the Port of Columbia and has worked with the Port to get the line reopened for commercial use. The short line railroad is now ready to resume full service.

“We are beyond excited to see the rail line resume service,” stated Jennie Dickinson, manager of the Port of Columbia, in a press release. “Given the history of rail in the settling of this area, we thought celebrating this important event at the oldest train depot in State of Washington made sense.”

The celebration takes place to Dayton’s annual Dayton on Tour event, which features an Art Walk, Fall Festival and historic homes tours.