“We need representation from Western states for passenger rail service”

The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority (BSPRA) strongly supports Montana Senator Jon Tester’s decision to block the White House’s slate of nominees for the Amtrak Board of Directors, urging President Joe Biden to reconsider nominating potential Board members from Western states.

Five of the six White House nominees to the Amtrak board come from the Northeast Corridor communities, despite the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s explicit requirement that new Amtrak Board members represent the breadth of Amtrak’s served communities and stakeholders, especially those in rural America. In fact, none of the six nominees come from a state west of the Mississippi River, leaving half of the country without representation at the highest levels of Amtrak. Read more.