North Coast Railroad approves $9 million contracts to ready freight service

SONOMA COUNTY, Nov. 12, 2008 -- The North Coast Railroad Authority board of directors today approved $8.9 million in track bed and bridge repair contracts aimed at getting freight trains rolling on the southern portion of the line from southern Napa Valley to Windsor next year.

A $8.7 million contract was awarded to Balfour Beatty to repair track on 62 miles of the line between the junction in Lombard and the depot in Windsor. Trains stopped using the 316-mile line that runs to Eureka seven years ago under federal order.

A $92,000 contract to repair two swing bridges, in the Petaluma was awarded to Summit Signal.

The NCRA also gave a notice to proceed for bridgework, a $3.9 million contract aimed at repairing 42 timber bridges.

The goal is to complete the repairs within four or five months, weather permitting, which would allow freight service to resume in spring at the earliest or by early fall, according to railroad authority Executive Director Mitch Stogner.

Palo Alto-based freight operator Northwestern Pacific Railroad Co. President John Williams is optimistic that freight cars will be rolling sooner than later. He said his group has financed the remaining repairs.

"We're putting in 50,000 cross ties, and that is a large number, so it will be a factor of how fast our supplier can provide them," Mr. Williams said.

There is also 60,000 tons of ballast being replaced in the track bed.

Also, a contract with Ghilotti Bros. of San Rafael and Cooper Crane of Vallejo to repair timber, delayed throughout this year because of a lawsuit by the city of Novato, was awarded. A settlement was reached Nov. 3.

The railroad has been undertaking $50 million in repairs on the southern part of the line.

This month the railroad authority plans to release its draft environmental impact report on repairs planned for the section of track between Windsor and Willits in Mendocino County, according to Mr. Stogner.