Montana 'closer than ever' in restoration of southern rail passenger route
Last edited Sun Apr 2, 2023, 05:53 AM - Edit history (1)
Montana ‘closer than ever’ in restoration of southern rail passenger route
By: Martin Kidston - Missoula Current | Posted at 9:14 AM, Mar 06, 2023 and last updated 11:14 AM, Mar 06, 2023
MISSOULA - For the first time in its young history, the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority now claims a contiguous block of participating counties stretching from the North Dakota border across the state to the western border with Idaho.
The conglomerate of 20 counties is nearly double what the rail authority started with in the fall of 2020, and it represents roughly 33% of all Montana counties. The authority also includes three Native American reservations.
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The addition of Treasure County last week gives the authority added momentum as it and other transportation districts around the county wait for the release of an anticipated study this spring by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority is pushing to ensure the old North Coast Hiawatha, which crossed the state's southern tier until 1977, is included in the FRA's final Amtrak Daily Long Distance Service Study.
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by NBC Montana Staff | Wed, March 29th 2023, 8:43 PM EDT
MISSOULA, Mont. — Plans are moving forward for a proposal to bring back passenger rail service to southern Montana.
The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority's proposal would restore the North Coast Hiawatha Corridor, which stretched from Chicago to Seattle and Portland until 1979.
Organizers recently submitted the proposal to the Federal Railroad Administration.
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The Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification and Development Program can support 30 or more Amtrak routes to bring back from retirement. ... Being selected would include a $500,000 grant for predevelopment planning.
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= new reply since forum marked as read
It hits all the big population centers.
This picture was taken back in 1967 just a few miles from where you are now. The Mainstreeter took a different route than the one that the proposed service would take. The proposed service would take the route of the North Coast Limited. From the North Dakota border to Bozeman, the two trains took the same route. West of Belgrade, the Mainstreeter made a right turn at Logan and went to Helena. It crossed the Continental Divide outside Helena. The North Coast Limited keep going straight, on to its crossing of the Continental Divide just before dropping down into Butte. The two routes rejoined at Garrison.
Past Missoula, the Northern Pacific split again at DeSmet. One route follows the Clark Fork River. The other goes through Ravalli.
The big beautiful passenger station next to the Higgins Avenue bridge is the old Milwaukee Road station.
https://www.railpictures.net/photo/641219/
» Northern Pacific (more..)
» EMD F9(A) (more..) » NP Clark Fork River Bridge
» Bonner, Montana, USA (more..)
» September, 1967
Locomotive No./Train ID Photographer
» n/a (more..)
» #1 The Mainstreeter (more..) » John Dziobko www.godfatherrails.com (more..)
» Contact Photographer · Photographer Profile
Remarks & Notes
The Mainstreeter is captured on the Clark Fork Bridge westbound a few miles from it's Missoula stop.
Here's the Milwaukee Road Columbian at Three Forks back in 1952.
https://www.railpictures.net/photo/49710/
» Milwaukee Road (more..)
» EP3 Baldwin/Westinghouse (more..) » Passenger depot
» Three Forks, Montana, USA (more..)
» October 21, 1952
Locomotive No./Train ID Photographer
» E11 (more..)
» The Columbian (more..) » Gregory Weirich (more..)
» Contact Photographer · Photographer Profile
Remarks & Notes
Crew change at Three Forks MT.
