The STB is accepting comments for the draft EIS of the proposed 43 mile Six Counties line from the UP main at Juab to Salina UT.
This is an interesting development, as there used to be a D&RGW branchline from Thistle UT to Salina and Richfield, then the big slide occured in Thistle canyon, and the line was abandoned. One might wonder why the Six County organization doesn’t just petition to rebuild the Thistle branch, as that would allow access to both UP and BNSF?
Looks like the distance to Thistle is a lot longer. Also, just how stable is that slide area??? Last but hardly least, where does the coal produced by that mine actually go?
Sometimes the quick and dirty answer and the best answer aren’t the same.
Here’s the thing - it is unlikely that the coal from the Salina area will go south to SoCal, since those bozos have bought into the global warming hysteria hook, line, and sinker. That means it’s probably headed north then east, bound for Midwest plants. If that’s the case, isn’t it both shorter and quicker for that coal to move via Thistle and the ex-D&RGW via Moffat?
Also, there’s probably a bunch of ex-rail shippers from the former Thistle branch who’d like nothing more than to see rail service return. And is it not cheaper to rebuild over ex-ROW than it is to build a rail line from scratch?
Finally, the ability to access both UP and BNSF via Thistle as opposed to being captive to UP must be analyzed before one commits to such projects. Wanna pay twice what your competitors are paying for rail service?
…Does that massive “slide” still exist that created the big body of water or has it been “removed” and territory uncovered as it was before it happened…?