Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle: $205 Million Federal Investment Coming to Port of Coos Bay Rail Project

Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle: $205 Million Federal Investment Coming to Port of Coos Bay Rail Project October 19, 2026 Coos Bay, OR – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04) today to announce $204,771,601 in federal funds for the Coos Bay Rail Line (CBRL) Upgrades Project in support of the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port Project (PCIP). This funding will go towards final design and construction of critical upgrades to address capacity and reliability, improve system and service performance of the Coos Bay Rail Line, and ensure the upgraded rail line will be able to sustain the PCIP’s proposed ship-to-rail connection. “As Speaker of the Oregon House, I helped save the Coos Bay Rail Line because I saw how critical the Port of Coos Bay was to all those who call Oregon’s rural South Coast home. Congresswoman Hoyle, Senator Wyden, and I have worked together to secure this transformative federal investment. The grant will bring us closer to the Port of Coos Bay becoming the first fully ship-to-rail port facility on the West Coast—a watershed moment for the region and our state,” said Merkley . “The Port of Coos Bay project stands to create economic opportunities for working families by creating good-paying, local union jobs, and together, we’ll get this project over the finish line.” “What great news for the South Coast and all of Oregon that the teamwork with Senator Merkley, Congresswoman Hoyle plus state and local officials has produced such a massive federal investment in this innovative rail project,” said Wyden. “ This is a huge vote of confidence in the Port of Coos Bay’s fresh approach to generate thousands of good-paying jobs in our state and expand supply chain capacity for all of America. It’s more important than ever now to keep working to ensure this project stays moving forward.” “We’re thrilled to see this game changing $204 million investment from the DOT to upgrade the Coos Bay rail line,” said Hoyle. “ So many people worked incredibly hard to get us this far. These investments are transformational for communities across the South Coast and our supply chain resilience.” “This is a defining moment for Oregon’s South Coast and a tremendous step forward for the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port,” said Kyle Stevens, President of the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay Board of Commissioners. “This $205 million investment recognizes the national significance of the project and puts us on a path toward constructing the critical rail infrastructure needed to bring a new West Coast container gateway to life. Oregon’s federal delegation has been a steadfast champion for our coastal communities, and we are grateful for their leadership in helping secure an investment that will create economic opportunities for generations to come.” This latest funding to the Port of Coos Bay comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program, which supports projects that modernize America’s freight and intercity passenger rail infrastructure to move people and goods. Earlier this year, Merkley, Wyden, and Hoyle announced over $11 million in federal funds from a Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) grant for the Port of Coos Bay rail project. ###