Orchard Combat Training Center Railroad Tracks Addition

The Orchard Combat Training Center (OCTC) is a premier joint military training facility in Ada County, Idaho, approximately 18 miles southeast of Boise. OCTC is a vital asset to the Idaho National Guard and Army Reserve, providing world-class training facilities that ensure that units are prepared to respond to any mission. The 143,000-acre training center includes vast terrain, world-class ranges, and a four-season climate, which make it an ideal location to prepare Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) and other units for combat in a tough and realistic training environment. The facility is regularly used by Army National Guard units in Idaho and units from Nevada, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

The objective of the $30M Railroad Tracks Addition Project was to double the rail capacity to ensure that four trains could be unloaded or loaded within a 24-hour period. In addition, a secondary goal was to provide redundant rail access to the facility. The project constructed seven additional unloading/loading rail spurs and docks within the railyard (bringing the total to 11), added a second bridge over the floodplain for redundancy, lengthened the existing rail siding, added a second rail siding, and modified the lead track into the facility to allow trains to switch between the two sidings and the 11 spurs. In addition, the project included encapsulating the spurs in heavy-duty concrete to allow equipment and personnel to quickly transverse empty spurs and other concrete equipment pads. This effort totaled 21 acres of heavy-duty concrete pavement, 25 acres of military equipment gravel storage area, security fencing around the entire rail facility including lead track and spurs, and high-mast lighting along the entire track.