Push continues for restoring passenger rail to southern Montana

The Little Engine That Could keeps chugging along the track even though the grade is steep and the rails greased.

Efforts to restore Amtrak’s North Coast Hiawatha service, which provided passenger rail through southern Montana, have continued ever since the service ended nearly 44 years ago.

Momentum seems to be gaining at least a hint of steam.

The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority met Aug. 9 at the Hotel Finlen in Butte and discussion included talk about the prospect of restoring the Amtrak route through southern Montana. 

Duncan Adams, The Montana Standard

On Aug. 9, the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority met at the Hotel Finlen in Butte for the authority’s third annual conference.

Dave Strohmaier, chairman of the rail authority, opened the morning with a pep talk of sorts.

“It is time to roll up our sleeves and keep after it,” he said.

Amit Bose, administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, appeared virtually. He noted that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 tasks the Federal Railroad Administration with conducting an Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study to evaluate the restoration of daily intercity passenger rail

View Source