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[CNJRoss]

CNBC News, 5/1:
 

California drought: Can railroads come to the rescue?

 

"We certainly have that capability today," said Mike Trevino, a spokesman for privately held BNSF Railway, which operates one of the largest freight railroad networks in North America. "We carry chlorine, for example. We carry liquefied commodities."

 

Experts say the East Coast's plentiful water could cost cents per gallon to Californians and provide a stable, potable water supply for small communities. Obstacles include identifying a state willing to share some of its water, and securing the construction funds for key infrastructure work, including terminals that can handle water.

 

Read MoreCommentary: How to fix California's drought problem

 

"We've actually spent some time on this and some energy, and there's merit; there's value for railroads to play a role in moving water," said Ed McKechnie, chairman of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.

 

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[CNJRoss]

Railway Age, 8/3:

 

Drought relief, by rail

Could emergency service that’s been used worldwide be applied on a massive scale for California?

 

Wait long enough at the roadside pull-off in southeastern Washington’s Wallula Gap, overlooking the nearly mile-wide Columbia River, and you’ll see one: A unit train of Bakken crude heading west. The string of 100-plus tank cars stretches more than a mile, yet it looks like a mere millipede in a landscape dominated by water and wide open spaces.

 

Knowing that some of these oil trains turn left near Wishram, Wash., and head south through Oregon to reach terminals in California makes you wonder. Could such trains be filled with water that could be delivered to some of the severely drought-stricken areas along the West Coast?

 

WBR has reached the mainstream. In a May 2015 story, “California Drought: Can Railroads Come to the Rescue?,” MSNBC and NBC interviewed a BNSF spokesman who said, “We certainly have that capability today.” The story made a couple of questionable points, including the idea of shipping water from the rain-soaked East Coast (a tremendous distance from California compared to other water sources), but it helped bring the concept of WBR to a wider audience.

 

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