Like rail traffic on the Palouse River and Coulee City Railroad, the efforts to restore that neglected short line, known as the PCC, have moved at a crawl for several years. The worst may be over, though, now that Spokane County has joined in an intergovernmental agreement aimed at clarifying how the state-purchased line will be administered.

That will be especially good news to Eastern Washington farmers whose patience has been tested by the inefficient movement of crops and agriculture-related goods in the region. It should be welcomed as well by state and local transportation officials, knowing that rail reliability for shippers lowers highway wear by keeping hundreds of pavement-pounding trucks off the roads.

But there is reason for even broader appreciation of the progress because of the potential for economic development that a suitable rail system could support.

Over the years, in many rural areas, small rail lines were allowed to deteriorate. Operators either let upkeep slide or raised rates so high that farmers couldn’t afford them – or both. Many lines ultimately were abandoned to the disadvantage of farmers.

In Washington, the state Department of Transportation has stepped in to acquire some suffering lines – including the PCC, where trains can’t move faster than 10 miles an hour – but bureaucratic mix-ups caused delays in that particular case, putting needed repairs on hold.

Action is about to pick up, however. Spokane, Lincoln and Grant counties and the Port of Whitman County have formed a rail authority with hands-on responsibility for getting the railroad up and running across an area that stretches from Coulee City to Pullman. There already is some $3 million in state money available to get a start on the most urgent track work. But there’s another $8.6 million in the pipeline once the rail authority and the state finalize the terms of their separate responsibilities.

Both county and state officials say the worst challenges are behind them, and things will move more smoothly in the coming weeks. Important meetings in the next few days could determine whether the optimism is justified. One aspect to be clarified is how an expansion of transportation options will translate into economic development.

Related to the rail improvements on the PCC is the relocation of the Geiger spur, which must be moved off Fairchild Air Force Base, a job that was stalled for a time over right-of-way acquisition. Assistant County Engineer Chad Coles says that problem has largely been resolved, and work on the spur could be under construction within a couple of months.

Since that line would tie into the PCC north of Cheney, it means West Plains industries also will benefit from the rail restoration work and the new rail authority. That connection has been tied to as many as 400 jobs and an estimated $67 million in annual economic impact.

Yes, there is more work to do, and this is no time for the state and county entities involved to relax. After a long wait, however, it’s good to see this process picking up speed.