Freight rail adds $28.5 billion to Washington's economy each year, according to a new economic impact assessment conducted by a leading economist.

"Washington's prosperity depends on trade and freight rail is a critical link that gives the state a competitive edge over other regions," according to the study's author, Dr. Philp J. Romero. "It is nearly impossible to overstate the benefit of rail transportation to Washington's economy. Everything from airplane fuselages to frozen vegetables to consumer goods are moving to and from Washington by rail, thus helping to drive the state's economy forward."

The Washington Council on International Trade (WCIT) and BNSF Railway commissioned Romero to conduct a comprehensive and independent evaluation of the economic impact of freight rail in Washington.

Romero served as the chief economist for two governors of California and the Rand Corporation. He is currently a professor of Business Administration at the University of Oregon and a contributor to publications including the Wall Street Journal and other national publications and broadcasters.

According to the study, Washington is more than twice as export-intensive as the U.S. average: in 2012, Washington exported $10,950 per capita vs. $4,938 for the U.S. as a whole. This is the second-highest of any state.

The full study can be found here: http://wcit.org/.

Major Findings

• Freight rail is responsible for $28.5 billion in state economic activity

> Nearly one in 10 dollars of GDP
> Most of a decade's worth of economic growth

• Household earnings are $13.4 billion higher

> More than $5,000 per family

• Rail supports 342,000 jobs

> More than 10% of state workforce

• Freight rail allows Washington to be the path through which trade occurs.

> Trade that passes to and from eight states and four Canadian provinces to Washington allows for a combined regional GDP of nearly $2 trillion
> This is larger than many medium-sized developed economies such as Italy or Australia