Passenger Rail Service In Southern Montana
 | Author:
Victor Sample
Vic Sample: MT43 News Treasurer |
Passenger Rail Service in Southern Montana
Victor Sample
When I was still in high school here in Townsend (admittedly a very long time ago), we still had Passenger rail service. The passenger train stopped here in Townsend. Tickets could be purchased at the Train Depot.
I remember my father had a grant/scholarship for a summer semester at a college in Chadron, Nebraska. If he had driven there, our family would have been without a car. So, he took the passenger train. I remember our whole family went to the depot to see him off! I thought traveling by train looked like it would be very cool and lots of fun.
When I was going to college in Seattle, I took the train back to Montana one Christmas. The Amtrak route stopped in Butte; my parents drove to Butte to pick me up. It was much cheaper than a plane ticket and was a very pleasant trip. I boarded the train in the early evening and arrived in Butte the next morning.
When I was living on the East Coast, I took the train from New Haven, Connecticut, to New York City - and home again - many times. I also took the train to Boston and Washington, DC several times.
It was always much more pleasant than driving on very crowded interstate highways - especially to New York City.
One year, when we were living in Detroit, Pam and I took the train to Denver to spend Christmas with family. This time we splurged on a sleeper car: real beds, a bathroom and seating. We left Detroit early in the morning and arrived fresh and rested around noon the next day. We had a terrific dinner and breakfast en route. Instead of driving for 2 days in winter weather and spending the night in a hotel, we arrived rested in Denver.
I have truly missed having Passenger train service here in Townsend. Of course, the northern route is still available - but it's pretty inconvenient to drive all the way to Shelby to catch the Northern Amtrak. It would be very convenient to take the train to Helena, Bozeman, Billings and Missoula - especially if we could board the train right here in Townsend!
A coalition of 20 southern Montana counties has created the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority with the goal of reestablishing passenger rail service in southern Montana linking Billings, Bozeman, Helena and Missoula - and of course towns like Townsend.
It is a very costly project and will take a lot of time and money to make it a reality.
The Montana Free Press has recently published an article that explores the pros and cons of the project. Many, many people support the project; others see a doomed money pit.
The full article is republished on the MT43News website. Visit https://mt43news.com to read the full Montana Free Press article.
