It may be the end of the line for trains crossing Marys River by Avery Park. The bridge that allowed that rail traffic to flow may never be rebuilt.
The span caught fire in 2022 and was restored. Then it collapsed in 2025 plunging cargo into the river, and by cargo, we mean 198.28 tons of urea fertilizer pellets, which then turned into ammonia. That event resulted in an $81,000 fine from Oregon’s DEQ.
Now, Portland & Western Railroad says it has no plans to rebuild the collapsed bridge.
A complaint filed with the federal Surface Transportation Board alleges that Portland & Western and its parent company, Genesee & Wyoming are obligated to repair the bridge and restore rail service to a stretch of track known as the Bailey Branch, which runs south of Corvallis. The complaint was lodged May 8 by VFRC LLC, a firm connected to Venell Farms.
Portland & Western revealed their plan to, well, do nothing, in their answer to the complaint.
The railroad pushed back on that argument, pointing to what it described as thin traffic on the line. Only 174 railcars — 87 loaded and 87 empty — moved over the bridge during all of 2024, the year before it failed.
The bridge gave way on Jan. 4, 2025. Rebuilding the wooden structure would cost roughly $4 million; replacing it with a steel span would run about $6.5 million, according to the railroad.
“Given the high cost of rebuilding the bridge and the anticipated low volume and revenues from traffic that would move to and from the Bailey Branch extension, Railroad was justified in not moving forward to rebuild the bridge,” the filing states.
Portland & Western also said that if it concludes funding will not materialize to rebuild, it would seek the Board’s approval to formally discontinue service on the branch.
On the cause of the collapse, the railroad disputed the complaint’s suggestion that inadequate repairs after the 2022 fire led to the failure. Flooding, not deferred maintenance, brought the bridge down, the railroad contends.
Portland & Western also filed a motion to dismiss the complaint entirely.
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