Council hears about rail line proposal

A new rail line is coming to Cheney, and while that’s a virtual certainty, safety enhancement features along the six-mile siding are still somewhat up in the air.

In an information item to the City Council at its July 9 meeting, Public Works director Todd Ableman said he and City Administrator Arlene Fisher have been in negotiations with Burlington-Northern Santa Fe since late 2011, early 2012 over what he called the Cheney to Babb Double Track Project. The project is the construction of a new rail line located 15 feet to the east of the current BNSF line, and running from just north of Anders...