Tribal leaders are optimistic about the possibilities of a passenger railroad line that crosses the same strip of land previous leaders fought so hard against building on the reservation. The proposed passenger rail will travel north from Missoula through Arlee, Ravalli, and Dixon then west to Spokane.

We are in the midst of an infrastructure decade, and you are at the center of it.

Big ideas discussed during the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority's annual meeting in Missoula on Friday, June 7th. Dennis Bragg talked with BSPRA Chair Dave Strohmaier about the state of passenger rail in Montana.

The buzz around the new route brought several top railroad officials to the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority (BSPRA) for its annual conference in Missoula, including Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

“Right now as we speak, we are in the middle of accepting proposals from consultants engineering firms to help us throughout this process, which is probably an 18-month to a two-year long planning process,” said BSPRA chairman Dave Strohmaier.

If there was one theme to Friday's Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority's annual conference, it was one of accomplishment, with a lot of work to come. However, there were many messages of encouragement during the day, both from Federal Rail Administration officials and the private sector working on breakthrough technology with hydrogen and hybrid trains. The conference was the latest milestone for BSPRA, which was formed less than 4-years ago, but with the restoration of Montana's "Southern Route" already on the list for possible projects.

Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority hosted its annual meeting today Friday to discuss several statewide projects that are on the fast track. The goal was to discuss recent accomplishments and set goals for the future. The organization noted railroads in Montana received a $15 million grant for rail improvements.

The resurrection of the North Coast Hiawatha route which runs from Seattle to Chicago and through Southern Montana, will be one point of discussion over the next few days. This route has been discontinued since 1979, but the BSPRA is past the optimism stage with this route and currently planning on how to make this route operational once more.

Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority secures funding to revitalize North Coast Hiawatha route; local North Dakota leaders advocate for economic and safety benefits.

More passenger rail through Montana isn’t just a hope and a dream, it’s a plan that’s chugging its way to reality, according to a report this week from the Big Sky Rail Authority. And Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is on board.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg was in Missoula on Monday. "All together we've given out over $2.4 billion to modernize transportation across Montana, It's a level of financial support from the federal government that we haven't seen in my lifetime, and it's sorely needed. Buttigieg said that he believes improved passenger train service should be a priority. "The bottom line is passenger rail is something we believe in."

The Jamestown City Council in a 4-1 vote, approved an annual membership in the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority to support a long-distance passenger rail route that could go through Jamestown in the future.

This IMPORTANT Community Event includes a review of improvements planned to the Malta portion of the Hi-Line through the Federal-State Partnership Grant. Public input is sought and all are welcome. - Havre Daily News

When looking at the tourism impacts, the report highlights national parks such as Waterton Lakes and Banff as main attractions to visiting southern Alberta, while Glacier and Yellowstone national parks act as go-to spots for tourists Stateside.

For smaller communities along the track, David Strohmaier with Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority in Montana says the route would positively benefit each economy.

"This is an option to connect folks to other communities, larger urban areas if you're living in a rural area to access services that you currently may not have that ability to do right now," Strohmaier said.

"We've long advocated either connectivity from Denver up to Montana or even Texas all the way north and it makes complete sense to connect our two countries and have cross-border travel."

A non-profit in Alberta looks to build an international train route, connecting the prairie province and Montana. Integrated Travel Research and Development has released its Alberta-Montana Passenger Rail Feasibility Report. It proposed creating an 888.9-kilometre route between Calgary and Livingston, Montana.

Integrated Travel Research and Development (ITRD) is set to release six transformative research studies on Friday, April 19th, 2024. These studies, commissioned under the ECO Canada Pathways to Environmental Careers Program, delve into a range of passenger rail technologies and solutions aimed at improving connectivity, sustainability, and community accessibility across Canada and the United States.

Now, another idea for passenger rail has surfaced, and one that wouldn't focus on east-west travel, but moving people in a north-south direction. And this one would provide an important international connection with our Canadian neighbors, which has the potential for a big economic impact on Montana, especially for tourism.

"We're planning on something that will be transformational across Montana," said David Strohmaier, the Chair of the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority.

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Friday made $2.4 billion available to help local railroads modernize both freight and passenger rail infrastructure, and the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority may consider several projects.

First, I will discuss the most recent content of the FRA’s long-distance study. Then, I will detail why these long-distance routes may well be worth our qualified support — as both matters of principle and political strategy.