Connecting the Northwest
2026 Greater Northwest
Rail Summit
August 25–27, 2026 | Helena, Montana

GNWRS–BSPRA Annual Conference

📅 August 25–27, 2026
|
📍 Montana Heritage Center
225 Roberts St, Helena, MT
Register Now
⌄

Co-Hosted By

Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority Pacific Northwest Economic Region

Why Attend

Save the date for the Greater Northwest Rail Summit, held in conjunction with the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority's Annual Conference, August 25–27, 2026, in Helena, Montana. This three-day gathering will convene leaders and stakeholders from across the rail industry, government, manufacturing, tourism, and community development sectors for timely discussions on the future of passenger and freight rail in Montana and across the Greater Northwest.

Policy Briefings

Insights into rail policy, federal funding, and corridor opportunity across the Northwest.

Networking

Connect with key decision-makers across 8 states and tribal nations.

Regional Advocacy

Unify our voice for long-distance service expansion and infrastructure investment.

Field Tours

On-the-ground exploration of local infrastructure and potential.

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Summit Agenda

Three days of panels, workshops, receptions, and strategic planning sessions across Helena, Montana.

11:00 AM
Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority Board Meeting

Open to all attendees

Board Meeting
12:30 PM
Opening Lunch

All Registrants

Lunch
1:00 PM
Summit Welcome: Rail Corridors from Coast to Country

Big Sky North Coast Corridor of Opportunity, Commerce and Mobility

Keynote
1:30 PM
The Big Sky North Coast Corridor of Opportunity

Its Transformative Impact on People and Communities

Session
2:30 PM
Moving into the 21st Century: Modern Train Manufacturing and Procurement in North America

Industry Leaders

Panel
4:00 PM
Opening Reception — Montana State Capitol Rotunda

All Attendees

Reception
8:00 AM
Regional Rail Caucus

Regional Rail Stakeholders

Sidebar
9:00 AM
Welcome and Introductions

BSPRA & PNWER Leadership

Welcome
9:15 AM
High Performance Rail: NW Multi-Modal Freight Connections and Export Acceleration

Summit Speakers

Keynote
10:00 AM
America's Great Corridors of Commerce: Moving People and Products across the Nation

Regional Rail Leaders

Panel
11:00 AM
Big Sky North Coast Corridor Update

BSPRA Team

Session
11:45 AM
Lunch

All Registrants

Lunch
1:00 PM
Driving More Business to the Rails: Investing in Frictionless Rail Terminals across the Greater Northwest

Concurrent Session 1

Concurrent
1:00 PM
More Jobs in More Places: Rail Workforce Needs and Investment in the 21st Century

Concurrent Session 2

Concurrent
2:30 PM
Connecting to Rail Service: Last-Mile Transit Connections for Rural Communities

Concurrent Session 1

Concurrent
2:30 PM
Connecting to Rail Service: Expanding Tourism from a Railroad Spine

Concurrent Session 2

Concurrent
4:00 PM
Passenger Rail Updates from Across the Region

Multi-State Delegation

Panel
6:00 PM
Banquet and Founders Award — Montana Heritage Center

All Attendees

Evening Event
8:00 AM
Hot Breakfast and Welcome

All Registrants

Breakfast
8:30 AM
Regional Rail Collaboration: Coordinated Action to Advance Rail Movement

Multi-State Partners

Session
10:00 AM
Public-Private Partnerships in the Rail Industry: Investing in the Future

A Fireside Chat with Class I Railroads

Fireside Chat
11:30 AM
Additional speakers and session details will be added as confirmed.

Stay tuned for updates

TBA

Featured Speakers

Speaker details coming soon. Check back for updates.