Revitalizing Communities and Building Sustainable Economies
Our Goal
Restoring Passenger Rail to Southern Montana and Beyond
Traveling through seven states, Amtrak’s North Coast Limited/Hiawatha connected Chicago, Illinois to Seattle, Washington. Operating for more than 80 years, the discontinuation of this line in 1979 severed access to passenger rail to the largest cities in Montana and North Dakota and small towns in between. As a result, a vast expanse of the Greater Northwest Region lacks passenger rail service.
Today, more than 2,000 miles from the Great Lake to the Pacific and 800 miles from Great Falls to Denver no longer have access to passenger rail service. It’s time to provide passenger rail service to all of America. The benefits of restored service are many.
What Do We Gain?
Benefits of Passenger Rail
Creating jobs
Provides affordable, safe, clean transportation year-round for healthcare, education, commerce, and tourism
Upgrades rail lines for freight AND passenger service
Generates an Annual Economic Return to the U.S. (Empire Builder was $327 million in 2023)
BSPRA engaged a consulting team led by David Evans and Associates (DEA), with Quandel Consultants, KLJ Engineering and the Steer Group to support planning and analysis for restoring long-distance passenger rail service on the former North Coast Hiawatha route, now referred to as the Big Sky North Coast Corridor (BSNCC).
CID Step 1 work is underway and is expected to continue through 2026.
Related documents:
CID press release
Consultant team press release
Download the BSNCC CID Fast Facts
