Port of Columbia considers selling rail line from Dayton to Walla Walla
By Griffin Beach on Friday, August 15th, 2025 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
DAYTON – The Port of Columbia Board of Commissioners discussed the potential sale of its rail line from Dayton to Walla Walla at the board meeting Wednesday. The 37-mile rail is owned by the Port but leased to Columbia Walla Walla Railroad, a subsidiary of Columbia Rail.
Columbia Rail made an offer to buy the rail track and adjacent property with a proposed offer of $305,000 to $705,000 according to a report from the Port of Columbia. The report states that’s two to five percent of an appraised value of $13.8 million. The Port says that Columbia Rail has informed them they will cease operations on the line if it is not sold to them, and they have not submitted a lease renewal notice. The lease expires on December 31.
Commissioner Mike Spring said he’d heard from many of the area farmers who’d expressed concern about selling the rail line, and its importance to agriculture in the area.
“They’re concerned that we’re selling something they’ll never get back,” said Spring.
Spring also said he felt Columbia Rail was essentially holding the Port hostage by offering such a low amount and saying it would no longer operate the line if it was not sold to them. Commissioner Seth Bryan pushed back on that idea.
“I see that as a necessary business decision on his part that we just may not like but that’s the way it is and that’s his rights as a business owner,” said Bryan.
Port of Columbia Executive Director Jennie Dickinson mentioned that two other operators have reached out with interest, but beyond saying that one was interested in buying the line and one in operating it, she didn’t offer any further details.
Commissioner Johnny Watts also expressed dissatisfaction with the price Columbia Rail offered.
“I’m looking at the risk, right now on the surface of what I’m looking at is far greater than the reward,” said Watts who said firmly that no matter the decision he wants to ensure that the line remains operational.
Columbia County Commissioner Marty Hall spoke in the public comment portion of the meeting on his own behalf and expressed opposition to a sale.
“I think it would be disservice to our community and certainly to the infrastructure of our community to sell that railroad,” said Hall
Both Watts and Spring voiced support for having an event for the public to voice their thoughts on the subject. When Spring suggested scheduling that sometime after harvest, presumably in October, Bryan said they need to start moving faster.
“This has been going on for over 40 months now (since Columbia Rail’s sale offer in 2022) and this should have been dealt with sooner than it has been,” said Bryan “But we’re at the point now where it’s been almost four years that we’ve been discussing it and we’re not any further than when we began.”
Although no date was set, the commissioners agreed to set up a workshop in the next couple of weeks. Elkhorn Media Group reached out to Columbia Rail for a statement, but as of Thursday afternoon did not receive a response.
File photo of Columbia Rail
