With funding available, Montana rail authority waiting for federal study

Martin Kidston

(Missoula Present) A federal funding bundle supposed to increase and modernize intercity passenger rail is only one piece of a bigger bundle being watched by the Massive Sky Passenger Rail Authority, it is chairman stated.

The U.S. Division of Transportation final week introduced practically $2.3 billion in funding to enhance present rail corridors and create new ones to spice up intercity passenger and high-speed rail tasks throughout the nation.

Missoula County Commissioner Dave Strohmaier, who chairs the Massive Sky Passenger Rail Authority, stated the brand new spherical of funding attracts from a bigger $12 billion invoice earmarked for passenger rail enhancements.

“Our purpose is on the restoration of the North Coast Hiawatha route, which may faucet into this $12 billion pot of cash as soon as the long-distance research is accomplished in November of 2023, and if our route is beneficial to Congress for restoration,” Strohmaier stated.

Strohmaier has visited with federal transportation and rail officers and stays optimistic that the North Coast Hiawatha can be included on a listing of routes worthy of federal funding, together with the Pioneer route that after related Salt Lake Metropolis to Seattle with stops in Pocatello, Boise and Portland.

If the Hiawatha route is beneficial, Strohmaier stated the Montana rail authority would search 100% federal funding.

“That is akin to present state-supported techniques, however what we and different long-distance passenger rail proponents are advocating are usually not state-supported routes, however Amtrak long-distance routes, that are solely a federal duty,” Strohmaier stated.

In saying final week’s funding, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated it represented the most important funding in passenger rail service in additional than 50 years.

However Montana rail advocates, and people in surrounding areas, are ready anxiously for the federal Amtrak Day by day Lengthy-Distance Service Examine subsequent yr. If the research recommends the North Coast Hiawatha, funding can be accessible to revive service.

“Twenty p.c of the $12 billion should be used for long-distance service restoration and enhancement, and we’ll be angling for the North Coast Hiawatha path to be totally funded out of that,” Strohmaier stated.