07/06/06 EIRR to upgrade Magic Valley line

Thanks to federal legislation signed into law two years ago the Eastern Idaho Railroad will begin a 278 thousand dollar track rehabilitation project in the Magic Valley. The railroad's Chief Commercial Officer Ed McKechnie says they'll replace four thousand railroad ties on an eight mile stretch between Burley and Milner. MCKECHNIE "This project will strengthen that line and allows us to move a little fast speeds, safe speeds, about 25 miles an hour which is a good speed for short line railroads." Eastern Idaho Railroad also has a line near Idaho Falls, part of their 270 miles of track in Idaho. Those lines are important to ag producers in those parts of the state. MCKECHNIE "We connect with the Union Pacific at Minidoka and Idaho Falls and they take the product the rest of the way. Primarily sugar, potatoes, and the dairy industry are our three big commodities and we move about 40 thousand car loads a year." Senator Mike Crapo was at the rail work site near Burley yesterday to see what the tax credits he endorsed in Congress are actually doing. McKechnie says in the end the tax credits will benefit customers by giving them better, faster and cheaper transportation options. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott