Such partnerships are all the rage in times of lean budgets, but they can run into roadblocks, as this project illustrates. For one thing, the state is a partner with no money.
The state wants to move Amtrak's Cascades trains inland south of Tacoma, routing them through Lakewood. But the cars would roll through at 79 miles an hour, raising concerns about safety and noise.
Gov. Gregoire appears to have given up on the comprehensive reforms she demanded in January. San Juan Islands legislators are talking about the best session in a long time.
Washington inks an agreement to take money rejected in Ohio and Wisconsin. Part of the money is headed toward tracks north of Everett, an area that had been left out of earlier high-speed improvements.
More than 130 passenger-train departures have been canceled due to slides in Washington since Dec. 1, and the cancellations remain in force even after BNSF deems the tracks safe enough for its freight trains. The problem has passengers angry, and state officials scratching their heads.
