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Navajo Nation council considers moving forward with freight rail line in San Juan County

Navajo Nation president's office
Chelsea Hofmann/Cronkite News
The Navajo Nation Office in Window Rock.

San Juan County officials recently presented the Navajo Nation Council’s Resources and Development Committee with a feasibility study for a proposed freight rail line. The project would cross tribal trust lands, giving the Navajo Nation the final word on approving it.

The goal is to connect the San Juan Generating Station with existing freight lines near the Interstate 40 corridor.

San Juan County has been working with the Navajo Nation on the project to assess its potential since 2020.

Some Committee members questioned investing in freight rail during an era of fast-evolving technology. But supporters argue that a freight line could help offset job and revenue losses from recent nearby power plant closures.

Recently, the county applied for an additional $40 million to move to the next phase with preliminary engineering. If that happens, the study and engineering work will be complete by 2027, plus at least three years of construction.

Kirsten Dorman is a field correspondent at KJZZ. Born and raised in New Jersey, Dorman fell in love with audio storytelling as a freshman at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2019.