The Great Wheat Bottleneck
Eastern Washington farmers face a crisis as railroads prioritize long-haul freight over local grain shipments, leaving warehouses overflowing.
The railroad companies in the wheat districts of Eastern Washington are not able to handle the wheat that is coming into the shipping points along their lines. In the Big Bend, for instance, all the warehouses at Davenport, Mondovi and Reardan are full and more wheat is coming in every day. This would be all right if there were enough cars to carry the grain as soon as it has been contracted for storage. But there are not, and from present indications will not be for some time. One reason we do not have as many cars here in the state of Washington is that the crops have been large throughout the country and the railroad companies claim that they are not able to get their rolling stock out here from the Eastern points. And then business has increased. More lumber and shingles are being shipped across the country now than last year. The railroads will not put their cars on the short run to the coast as long as they can get freight for transportation for much longer trips.
“The railroads will not put their cars on the short run to the coast as long as they can get freight for transportation for much longer trips.”
The struggle to move agricultural products to market remains a recurring theme in Washington's economy. Just as 19th-century farmers were held hostage by railroad logistics, modern growers continue to grapple with supply chain disruptions and the prioritization of global freight over local needs.
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