In May 2008, the Wilburton railroad trestle served as the backdrop as CEO Tay Yoshitani signed an important agreement with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) for the acquisition of a 42-mile rail corridor located in King and Snohomish Counties. King County Executive Ron Sims joined Yoshitani to sign an interlocal agreement that grants King County an easement to develop a public trail on 32 miles of the corridor.

The Port is seeking to acquire the corridor from BNSF for $107 million, with King County contributing $2 million toward the purchase. These investments represent the culmination of years of efforts to bring the corridor into public ownership. Said Commission President John Creighton, “Without the Port’s investment, the corridor would likely have been fragmented and lost to the public forever. I am very pleased that we are able to partner with King County to ensure that the corridor can be used in multiple ways, both now and in the future.”

While the northern portion of the corridor will continue to be used for freight service, the easement on the southern segment allows King County to develop a trail. Following Surface Transportation Board approval later this year, the Port will begin gathering input from the region’s citizens on recreational and transportation uses for the corridor.