Comments about ‘Will the railroad return to the Uintah Basin?’

$1.1 Million, just to pay for a "study".

I can hardly imagine what the cost will eventually be for what the study is studying. :o/

It would be a mixed blessing to have a railroad spur come to the Uintah Basin. I wouldn't mind having fewer trucks on the road to contend with. However, losing the hauling contracts would impact the many trucking companies in the area. On the other hand, having a railroad spur to this area might open up the possibilities of other industries beside the oil and gas industry. One of the holdups of other industries is the cost of transporting finished goods out of the area to the marketplace. Having a railroad would help that situation. Spending so much on the study seems extreme, I agree, but $1.1 million is a drop in the bucket when compared to the costs of many other government studies and programs, and would be money well spent if it results in bringing the railroad spur here. Questions: who would pay for the spur? What railroad company would operate it? What kind of timeline would we be looking at for completion?