The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority grew to 10 Montana counties on Tuesday in a growing effort to restore Amtrak service to the state’s southern tier.
While passenger rail service has contracted nationally during the pandemic, Sen. Jon Tester said it enjoys bipartisan support in the Senate and could be eyed for investment down the road with the aid of an infrastructure bill.
As counties across southern Montana join the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority in a push to restore passenger service to the region, other states are launching ambitious goals of their own, recognizing the role transportation will play in future economies. The SRC is the model the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority should explore.
Montana officials are hosting a Virtual Passenger Rail Summit on Thursday to educate and advocate for the restoration of passenger rail service to southern Montana and continued support for Amtrak's Empire Builder. Representatives from the Southern Rail Commission and Transportation for America will present on successful regional collaborations and more.
Shortly before coronavirus hit, Green, the director of the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Jacksonville State University, completed a study titled “The Economic Impact of Passenger Rail Expansion on the State of Alabama” that is getting a lot of visibility in Alabama.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today announced the recipients of more than $326 million in grant funds under the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program and the Special Transportation Circumstances Program, for a wide variety of state and local railroad infrastructure projects. The grants will fund 45 projects in 29 states.