08/04/06 Working on the railroad

Idaho has some of the best soil, growing conditions, climate and farmers. What it doesn't have are millions of people, its grows far more than it consumes and that's why Idaho growers need dependable and ample transportation. Ed McKechnie says he'll help as many as he can with his Eastern Idaho Railroad. MCKECHNIE "What we do is provide that platform to allow Idaho producers to compete in New York City with Wisconsin producers or Colorado producers that are literally hundreds of miles closer than we are." He equates his short line railroad and its 270 miles of track in eastern Idaho to a regional airline. EIRR moves freight from rural or remote locations to connecting points in Minidoka and Idaho Falls where the Union Pacific takes it the rest of the way. MCKECHNIE "And we serve potato growers, the dairy industry, the sugar industry in the Magic Valley. We move about 40 thousand carloads a year. That equates to about an additional 120 thousand trucks that would be on the highways." The railroad is improving eight miles of line near Burley, McKechnie says, making it safer and faster to move Idaho's ag commodities to out of state destinations. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott