Martinus Group to build Port of Moses Lake rail link

USA: The Port of Moses Lake has appointed Martinus Rail as principal contractor for the first phase of the Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project in Washington State. This will connect the port’s industrial area to Jaguar Transport Holding’s Columbia Basin Railroad, which provides access to BNSF at Connell. The project aims to unlock opportunities for industrial investment and regional economic growth by providing businesses with improved access to national markets. The new connection will also enable the existing railway through central Moses Lake to be closed.

The $31.75m contract covers the construction of 7.6 km of new railway and upgrades to 4.3 km of existing track, along with bridge and level crossing construction, signalling and railway systems, bulk earthworks, drainage and utility works and roadway improvements.

The project is supported by $33m of Washington State and Federal Railroad Administration funding. Rock Project Management Services is acting as construction manager. Completion is planned for spring 2028.

Martinus Group Chief Operating Officer Ryan Baden said the project demonstrates the Australia-based contractor’s global capabilities. ‘Our established North American team brings together specialist engineering, civil, track and systems expertise, supported by the experience of our teams across Australia, Chile and New Zealand’, he said. ‘This integrated approach allows us to deliver complex railway projects with local knowledge and global capability.’

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