Welcome to POVA
Pend Oreille Valley Railroad
We are a non-taxing government entity focused on operating a short-line railroad and providing an array of railway-related services. We also serve as the Pend Oreille County and Washington State’s Associate Development Office (ADO).
POVA owns 61 miles of track from Metaline Falls, WA to Newport, WA, with 23 miles active and 38 miles out of service. We also lease 24 miles from BNSF®, connecting Newport to Dover, ID. An agreement with Union Pacific allows our trains to use three miles of controlled track to reach the BNSF interchange in Sandpoint, ID.
A Railroad…and Much More
A three-member elected POVA Board of Commissioners guides POVA at the County government level, and currently we employ 12 full-time employees, plus additional summer help for track maintenance as needed. Our track crews provide all the track maintenance for the line, in keeping with Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) standards. We also provide additional services.
Client Testimonials
