The annual Chelatchie Prairie Christmas Tree Train event this weekend has been canceled due to questions over the legality of the operators’ use of the county-owned rail line.
Both Clark County and the Portland Vancouver Junction Railroad (PVJR) announced today that the usual weekend train rides have been canceled for Dec. 8 and 9. The county noted that discussions around “legal relationships” have led PVJR to restrict usage of the tracks, leading to the closure.
PVJR’s release goes into more detail. It notes recent reporting that the lease the operator has with the railroad may be void. The operator claims that even with a week of requesting Clark County Council reinstate the lease, “The County, to our knowledge, has made no offer to fix the problem.”
PVJR’s decision to restrict the tracks affects the organizers of the Christmas Tree Train, BYCX, keeping them from operating through part of the language in the ostensibly-void lease.
