Washington and Idaho Railway

Shortline railroad connecting lines in Washington and Idaho

Washington and Idaho RailwayOverview

Headquarters| Marshall, Washington
Reporting mark| WIR
Locale| Washington and Idaho
Dates of operation| 2006–2019
Predecessor| Spokane, Spangle & Palouse RR
Technical
Track gauge| 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

The Washington and Idaho Railway (reporting mark WIR) was a shortline railroad that operated in the area south of Spokane, Washington, connecting the BNSF Railway at Marshall to Palouse, Washington, Harvard, Idaho, and Moscow, Idaho. It began operations in 2006 on ex-Northern Pacific Railway and Washington, Idaho and Montana Railway trackage formerly operated by the Palouse River and Coulee City Railroad, which had acquired it from the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1996. The railroad ceased operations in 2019 as a new operator gained control of the line.

## History

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The Spokane and Palouse Railway, a predecessor of the Northern Pacific Railway (NP), completed a line from the NP's main line at Marshall south to Genesee, Idaho in 1888, and a branch from Pullman to Juliaetta, Idaho in 1891 (extended to Lewiston by the NP in 1898).[1] The Washington, Idaho and Montana Railway (WI&M) finished its line in 1907, extending east from Palouse to Purdue, Idaho.[2] The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) gained control of the WI&M in 1962, and sold the property to the Burlington Northern Railroad (BN), successor to the NP, in 1980.[3] The BN sold the lines from Marshall to Arrow, Idaho and Palouse to Bovill, Idaho to the newly created Palouse River and Coulee City Railroad (PCC),[4] which began operations in September 1996.[5] It subsequently abandoned the ends from Harvard to Bovill and Moscow to Arrow, and in September 2006 the Washington and Idaho Railway began operating the remainder under contract.[6] The Washington State Department of Transportation bought the trackage within that state in June 2007, and kept the Washington and Idaho Railway as the operator.[7] It also has access to an ex-Union Pacific Railroad line west from Pullman to Risbeck (also formerly owned by the PCC) for railcar storage.[8]

In mid 2019, the WIR ceased operations as the contract was up for the state owned lines. A new operator took over in August 2019 and is called the Spokane, Spangle & Palouse Railway (SSP).[citation needed]

## References

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1. ^ Interstate Commerce Commission, 25 Val. Rep. 397 (1929): Valuation Docket No. 959, Northern Pacific Railway Company et al.
2. ^ Interstate Commerce Commission, 97 I.C.C. 71 (1925): Valuation Docket No. 288, Washington, Idaho & Montana Railway Company
3. ^ Judith Nielsen, University of Idaho, A Brief History of the Washington, Idaho & Montana Railway Company, accessed February 2009
4. ^ STB Finance Docket No. 33041, 1996
5. ^ Railroad Retirement Board, Employer Status Determination: Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad, Inc., 1997
6. ^ Railroad Retirement Board, Employer Status Determination: Washington & Idaho Railway, Incorporated, October 1, 2007
7. ^ Washington State Department of Transportation, WSDOT Purchases Eastern Washington Rail Lines, May 11, 2007
8. ^ Washington State Department of Transportation, Palouse River and Coulee City RR – Acquisition and Rehabilitation – Project Map, accessed February 2009

## External links

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* Railways portal

* Washington & Idaho Railway Inc.

* v
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Railroads of Idaho

Common carriers|

* BG&CM Railroad
* BNSF Railway
* Boise Valley Railroad
* Eastern Idaho Railroad
* Great Northwest Railroad
* Idaho Northern and Pacific Railroad
* Idaho and Sedalia Transportation Company
* Montana Rail Link
* Pend Oreille Valley Railroad
* St. Maries River Railroad
* Union Pacific Railroad
* Washington and Idaho Railway

Passenger carriers|

* Amtrak

Private carriers|

* Idaho National Laboratory

Heritage railroads|

* Silverwood Theme Park Steam Train
* Thunder Mountain Line

* See also: Former carriers in Idaho
* List of United States railroads by political division

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Railroads of Washington (state)

Common carriers|

* Ballard Terminal Railroad
* BNSF
* Columbia Basin Railroad
* Columbia & Cowlitz Railway
* Cascade & Columbia River Railroad
* Central Washington Railroad
* Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad
* GNP Railway
* Great Northwest Railroad
* Kettle Falls International Railway
* Montana Rail Link
* Meeker Southern Railroad
* Mount Vernon Terminal Railway
* Olympia & Belmore Railroad
* Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad
* Pend Oreille Valley Railroad
* Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad
* Tri-City and Olympia Railroad
* Tacoma Rail
* Union Pacific
* Washington & Idaho Railway
* Western Rail Switching

Passenger carriers|

* Amtrak

* See also: Former carriers in Washington
* List of United States railroads by political division

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