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Renewed concern over future of iconic train and railway through Washington Park

For a number of years now the train has continued to run through the Oregon Zoo, and is expected to keep doing so, but its future outside of that is uncertain.

PORTLAND, Ore. — There's renewed conversation about getting rid of the iconic train that for decades ran through Washington Park.

For a number of years now the train has continued to run through the Oregon Zoo, and is expected to keep doing so, but its future outside of that is uncertain.

After some comments from Metro last week, fans of the train worry the historic route through the Washington Park portion may never come back.

The Washington Park and Zoo railway, along with the 1950s train cruising its tracks, have been an institution.

“It's a regional treasure. Grandparents and parents bring their kids to ride the train and to experience what they experienced as children themselves,” said Dana Carstensen, Friends of Washington Park and Zoo Railway President.

Watch: Zooliner train debuts at 'Portland Zoo' in 1958

For decades it took riders from the Oregon Zoo, through the forested park, to a train station near the Rose Garden and back again.

“There's few things in this world that have that kind of magic,” Carstensen said.

But these days the stairs up to the Rose Garden station are overgrown. The place is deserted.

That's why Carstensen started a change.org petition to save the railway. At the time of this posted article, it has about 30,000 signatures.

Right now, the train is still running inside the zoo, but the Washington Park segment has been closed for years due to small slides on the tracks and weak retaining walls.

But discussion about the railway’s future was renewed when last Friday at a State of the Region presentation with the City Club of Portland, Metro President Lynn Peterson was asked about the zoo train.

“In the next three years will we see the restoration of the zoo railroad?” asked one man attending the presentation.

“In the next few years probably no. Oh I'm sorry, I think I disappointed a lot of people today,” said Peterson. Her comments regarding the historic railway begin at roughly the 58-minute mark (video below).

Peterson said Metro is trying to adhere to the city of Portland’s plan for the Washington Park area.

“It envisions a trail there instead [of the railway],” said Peterson.

A zoo report from a few years ago estimated it would cost up to $2 million to make the necessary repairs.

Peterson said a foundation would probably have to be set up to get the full railway back up and running.

“I'm really concerned that we're gonna lose something that's not only unique to our region, but unique to our country,” said Carstensen, who is in the process of starting a nonprofit. He hopes to raise the money necessary to fund all the fixes.

He said he has faith that Peterson will be open to listening to the public and working something out.

“She herself suggested maybe a foundation needs to be created and that’s what I’m doing. So it’s already in her mind, so maybe we can meet and work something out and have a win-win situation,” Peterson said.

Mark Ross with Portland Parks and Recreation said the city is following Metro's lead and in the master plan that City Council approved back in March of 2018 there was an option for the existence of both a railway and pedestrian path, but the Metro president's comments only mentioned the pedestrian path option.

RELATED: 'Everyone misses it': Groups work to bring back old Washington Park and Zoo Railway route

In the meantime though, the plan is just that, a plan. No changes are expected in the immediate future.

In a press release, the Oregon Zoo said, “the zoo’s main focus through 2020 is on completing projects funded by the 2008 public bond, and on other efforts directly related to animal welfare and conservation.”

Metro spokesman Jim Middaugh echoed that sentiment in a statement to KGW.

"Metro’s current zoo bond projects related to animal welfare continue to be a higher priority than restoring train service to the Rose Garden for the next three years. We remain open to working with private funders," he said.

For updates on Carstensen’s efforts to create a nonprofit to raise money for the railway, visit his website.

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