Back in the summers of 2004-5-6 the state celebrated the two hundredth anniversary of Lewis && Clark being in the area exploring for President Jefferson. The train was made up of three former BC Rail RDC's. There was two RDC-1's and a RDC-3. The train ran between Linnton and Astoria on the former SP&S "A"Line. The train didn't make any stops enroute. I had to drive fifty miles to get a train that ran a hundred feet from the house
There has been talk of commuter trains between Rainier and Portland but things have quieted down in the past few years. Highway 30 isn't a parking lot yet.
If they do it anything like western Washington, they'll wait until too late and costs have skyrocketed, before starting to think seriously about alternatives.
Of course, if they put that commuter line in, it would se a boon to housing construction along those communities.
It could be. As my parents were approaching retirement, one area they'd explored was the Astoria-Seaside vicinity. But they felt it was already seeing some attention, and that was thirty years ago.
Travel between seaside/astoria and Portland as well as Tillamook and Portland is very much painless with the exception of true downpours such as what washed out POTB in the Salmonberry. Commuter service on the a-line would open up those communities along it. Of course it's a chicken and egg situation and if we're talking unlikely commuter routes on the PNWR, Rex hill has advantages. 1:existing exurb/bedroom community sprawl, 2: 99W is congested in a way 30 is not. 3: Ties into the existing service somewhat and passes through some of the Washington county tech corridor.
It was fun to take the Lewis Clark train. I'm from Astoria. Born there in 1945 We used to take the train to Portland back in the late 40's and until 1953 when it was taken off. It took four hours by train to get to Portland from Astoria. The same on Highway 30 then too. Back when I was a kid in Astoria the bridge to Washington wasn't there. Ferries got people across the river. The ferries were the Tourist #2 Tourist #3 an the M.R. Chessman There are photos on www.Evergreenfleet.com and click on "Oregon Ferries
