MOSES LAKE - Fulfilling a need for extra rail cars to haul wheat is being done with the 29 car expansion of the Washington Grain Train.

The added cars ensure grain shippers on the upper branch of the state-owned Palouse River and Coulee City rail system have cars to ship their product, said Mike Roswell, with the Washington State Department of Transportation's State Rail and Marine Office, on Thursday.

Wheat is shipped by rail from Eastern Washington to ports on the Columbia River and Puget Sound. Then the grain is loaded on ships destined for the Pacific Rim, he stated.

Another similar train is used on the Columbia Basin Railroad for a shipper union, which is sent twice a month to the coast, he explained.

"That's probably going to be the type of freight you'll see on the upper line when they are used to taking grain to Ritzville," he commented.

Although the extra cars don't create more jobs, it's possible that over time, they help preserve jobs by providing more opportunities for shipping, he said.

Wheat growing is an extremely important part of the economy of Washington state, especially in Eastern Washington, he said.

Nationwide, Washington ranks fifth for wheat-producing states.

Extending the program assists in the economic viability in growing and shipping.

"It is helpful to everyone," Roswell said. "By having these cars, it takes away those ups and downs of availability that can detrimentally affect the farmers and co-ops."

He also explained it's not the DOT's purpose to compete with private enterprise.

How far and if they expand the program is decided in the future, Roswell commented.

No tax payer funds are used for the self-sustaining program, he said.

The cars were bought for $362,500 and updated before being used.

Cars brought on at the end of December were designated to pick up grain between Coulee City and Cheney.

Then the grain is brought to Ritzville on the state's rail system for the Washington coast and later export.

"Putting dozens of additional rail cars in service helps Washington farmers and our state's economy by facilitating the export of our state's grain products," stated transportation secretary Paula Hammond. "Our state is one of the highest producing grain regions in the nation and this investment will continue to reap real economic benefits for years to come."