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

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1546900  by gokeefe
 
I will be interested to see if they can get anywhere with this effort. If they focus on a regional service they at least have half a chance of being taken seriously.

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 #1546902  by dgvrengineer
 
Amtrak under Anderson was promoting corridors and requested $300 million for new corridor starts( I think that is the right amount). If there is sufficient local support and pressure, this may get some serious Federal help. Caveat: Congress has to approve this request and considering the current pandemic and Federal debt that is not a given.
 #1546936  by eolesen
 
dgvrengineer wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2020 7:07 pm Caveat: Congress has to approve this request and considering the current pandemic and Federal debt that is not a given.
Only has to approve it if MT wants Federal funds. The State could start this up at anytime without Congress's involvement.
 #1547395  by Pensyfan19
 
Almost there! :-D

https://missoulacurrent.com/business/20 ... service-2/
Gallatin, Broadwater counties join push for passenger rail service; members now at 7

With the deadline nearing, the coalition of counties looking to bring passenger rail service back to southern Montana grew over the weekend, with both Gallatin and Broadwater counties signing on.
With two more counties aboard, the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority will include at least seven county members in its inaugural resolution, which will likely be adopted later this month.
Only two counties are needed to form the authority under state law.
“I was notified that both Broadwater and Gallatin counties are now going to participate in the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority,” Missoula County Commissioner Dave Strohmaier said on Tuesday morning. “We’ll know by Thursday what the final tally is, but snagging Gallatin County was a big win.”
 #1547544  by eolesen
 
To quote bad movies from the 1990's, "Show me the money!"
 #1548168  by Pensyfan19
 
VOTE IMPENDING!!! The vote for this line to he held within the next few weeks!

https://missoulacurrent.com/business/20 ... thority-3/
A resolution creating the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority will include 11 founding members when it goes to a vote in the coming weeks, representing nearly half the counties poised along the former route across Montana’s southern tier.

Each of the 11 counties – a figure that surpasses early expectations – will now hold individual public hearings before adopting the resolution, making the rail authority official. Once each county adopts the resolution, they will appoint a member to the authority’s board, and the board will get to work on taking steps in its push to restore passenger rail.

“As soon as we have those names, we will schedule an initial board meeting of the authority, at which point the authority’s directors will select officers and determine next steps,” said Missoula County Commissioner Dave Strohmaier.
 #1548174  by gokeefe
 
I'm impressed. This is going to be very hard for anyone at the federal level to ignore.

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 #1548986  by Pensyfan19
 
Update from the Trains.com paper boy. :P

https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2 ... ness-class
Gallatin County has become the first of 11 Montana counties to officially approve membership in the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, the agency formed to pursue the return of Amtrak service to the state’s southern tier, the Missoula Current reports. Missoula County, which has led the effort to form the agency [see “California legislature may try to stop high speed rail contract,” News Wire Digest, June 8, 2020] will consider its resolution to join on Thursday.
 #1549054  by eolesen
 
Pennsy, you're getting excited over absolutely nothing.

Some counties are forming a committee to talk about trying to raise awareness to maybe get the state to consider rail service.

That's it. It's a committee. It's less significant than your local high school student government voting to abolish finals.
 #1549058  by gokeefe
 
I totally disagree with that sentiment. While I don't support the restoration of the North Coast Hiawatha state supported services are clearly the drivers of new service proposals. There are several states where county based organizations have ultimately been able to successfully advocate for the creation of new service. California (CCJPA) has at least one example.

Government committees do not run themselves. They often require resources of full time staff, unpaid volunteers and elected officials. As of right now there are 11 counties in Montana that believe this committee is a worthwhile endeavour and are willing to share time and resources (however small a requirement that may be initially) in order to operate this committee.

In local government these kinds of decisions are not taken lightly at all. There's always some cause or some person who feels that government resources should be expended in their direction. Discerning which of these interests truly represent a larger public interest and which do not can consume extensive time and effort on the part of elected officials in particular.

I believe that what we are seeing is the early stages of an effort that appears likely to ultimately succeed.

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 #1549095  by Pensyfan19
 
gokeefe wrote: Thu Jul 30, 2020 5:34 am
I believe that what we are seeing is the early stages of an effort that appears likely to ultimately succeed.
I agree with you gokeefe. Although I am a supporter of this route being restored, I was not jumping out of my chair over it. I was just giving a friendly update regarding this development which is making progress towards becoming a reality.
 #1549110  by Rockingham Racer
 
I hope the BNSF and the city of Spokane get in on this act so there is the possibility of some connectivity to go farther west to the coast. From Sandpoint, ID where this train would join the BNSF, it will be entirely double track to Spokane, once the second bridge over Lake Pend Oreille is finished.
 #1549897  by Tadman
 
Is that bridge actually under construction? It's a long bridge.
 #1550081  by urr304
 
Thhis October, it will be 41 years after the North Coast Hiawatha last ran IIRC. I was on the eastbound Empire Builder and they were talking about the temporary coach only train running in the southern part of Montana until the court could sort it out.
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