North Coast Hiawatha - Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority (BSPRA)

west point wrote:Lets muck it up. Spokane - Seattle. Get a bucket load of money and rebuild the Milwaukee line. Allow BNSF trackage rights with severe restrictions. No freight less than 4 hours ahead of passenger train or have to follow passenger trains with holding sidings when cannot meet those restrictions. Short trains, high HP per trailing tons, no Haz Mat Maybe even electrify ?

That gives the important needed third crossing.

Actually rebuilding the Milwaukee Road (between Missoula and Ellensburg, anyways) would be a far better route for FREIGHT trains, and get those FREIGHT trains out of downtown Spokane, plus a much shorter route bypassing Pasco and Yakima (and the Yakima River canyon between Ellensburg and Yakima, the biggest single obstacle towards using the existing ex-NP route for passenger service.)

That route is of little use to passenger trains unless you want to bypass every possible revenue source whatsoever, and it'll never be a 250 MPH high speed rail line. Move the FREIGHT there, not the ridiculous "let's build a really expensive railroad for ONE passenger train a day and maybe let freight on it, but not within four hours of a passenger train movement" idea. The Cascade Line can be relegated to passenger service and the hotshot Z trains, and you still have three routes for the trains that actually make money and move America's freight.

west point wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 4:14 pmIf they extend to Sand Point, ID in the west...then they can connect to the Builder...

A very long wait at a questionable depot waiting for a train at o'dark thirty surrounded by a freeway and a body of water in the freezing cold?

Corridor ID: KFYRTV.com

Old North Coast Hiawatha rail route takes giant step towards reinstatement
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The North Coast Hiawatha route used to be in service during the 1970s, providing passenger rail service from Chicago to Seattle, following along Interstates 94 and 90 through North Dakota and Montana.

The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority wants to reinstate the route, with vice-chairman Jason Stuart saying people in this region need more options to get to their destination besides driving for long periods of time.
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Last week, the idea of reinstatement got a big boost after an announcement from Senator Jon Tester, D-MT, stating the old route has been selected for Corridor ID funding. Being a part of the program means it will be developed as a long-term passenger rail project.
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Proposed stops would include most cities along Interstates 90 and 94, such as Fargo, Bismarck, Dickinson, Glendive and Billings.

wigwagfan wrote: ↑Sun Mar 12, 2023 10:06 am

west point wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 4:14 pmIf they extend to Sand Point, ID in the west...then they can connect to the Builder...

A very long wait at a questionable depot waiting for a train at o'dark thirty surrounded by a freeway and a body of water in the freezing cold?

Yes but cmon WE'RE CONNECTING THE DOTS BRO its how you do passenger trains these days!!! Wait til we connect Pocatello with Pascagoula, 3x/day with full chef-prepared diner meals.

Don't worry that we still haven't really figured out the Detroit and Saint Louis trains and the Cascades are now running Horizon cars because ermagurd talgos are so dangerous bro.

I rode the Empire Builder over Stampede Pass and down the river through Cle Elum and Yakima in 1976 (so I missed the NP in Montana, as the NCH of that era used it, while the Builder used GN). It was signaled at that time, and I recall speeds in the 50-70 MPH range. The Stampede Pass route was 396 miles and 9:45 Seattle - Spokane. The Cascade Tunnel was 326 and 8:10. Both trains made about 40 MPH over that segment including one 5 minute stop (Pasco or Wenatchee). So, given funds for restoration of signals, restoration of superelevation and probably siding work, a Stampede Pass route seems viable.

The Stampede Pass route was 396 miles and 9:45 Seattle - Spokane. The Cascade Tunnel was 326 and 8:10.

In that time I could drive on gridlocked I-5 from Everett to Sea-Tac, catch an Alaska Airlines shuttle flight from SEA to GEG, wait in line for a rental car, drive on gridlocked I-90 during an ice storm (driving down that lovely hill at 5 MPH into the city), do my business, reverse back...and then do it all over again one more time.

There's no need for

given funds for restoration of signals, restoration of superelevation and probably siding work

when there is already a viable and very highly accepted alternative that does not require subsidy from the federal government or the State; one that is not only profitable but also returns taxes back to both the federal and state governments; and employs thousands of Washington state residents and pays good wages, benefits and taxes; not to mention Alaska Air group provides transportation services to Yakima, Walla Walla, Pullman - all cities Amtrak does not - and will not - serve. (Sorry, Wishram, but Alaska doesn't serve you.)

FRA provides more info: MontanaFreeExpress.org

Long-distance rail route through southern Montana garners another nod from feds
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During a meeting on Feb. 8, the Federal Railroad Administration also provided a bit more detail on where the North Coast Hiawatha service might stop if Amtrak ultimately restores the route, landing on service through Helena rather than Butte.

Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, which was formed in 2020 under an obscure, century-old piece of Montana law to advocate for expanded passenger rail service through southern Montana, said the development is a “very strong signal” that federal authorities are invested in a restoration of the North Coast Hiawatha route.
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There’s been some uncertainty as to the precise location the North Coast Hiawatha route might take as it travels between Glendive and Missoula, and that piece of the puzzle is coming into focus. Per the FRA’s presentation, which includes a further-analysis-is-needed disclaimer, the preferred route will pass through Helena rather than Butte. The line east of Butte, over Homestake Pass, has been out of service for decades, meaning it would be a heavier lift to get that section of railroad in shape for regular use.
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