All Aboard?

Meeting in Bozeman Discusses Southern Montana Passenger Line

By David Nolt, 5-22-07

The last passenger train rumbled through Bozeman in 1979, and while the Bozeman train depot is in disrepair, a recent meeting at the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce explored the possibility of bringing both a new depot and the passenger train back to Bozeman and southern Montana.

On May 11 the Montana Association of Railroad Passengers (MARP) held an open meeting at the chamber to discuss local support and ideas for bringing passenger rail service back to southern Montana.

About 20 citizens from the Gallatin Valley and Livingston attended, asked questions and gave feedback to MARP President James Green. Green and MARP are working with an anonymous private donor to secure $10-$15 million and are also lobbying for railroad passenger-friendly legislation in D.C. to bring back the passenger line from Billings to Livingston, Bozeman and Helena, as well as a line to Missoula and possibly the Flathead Valley, which could connect with the Empire Builder passenger line in Whitefish.

Though Bozeman would likely need a new depot if passenger service returned, Green said depots in Billings, Livingston, Helena and Missoula could function as active depots with relatively little work. Green said money and the willingness of Montanans to ride the train are the two biggest factors in making the passenger line a reality. Membership money to the financially-strapped MARP is key to success, Green explained.

“The bottom line of all of this is money,” Green acknowledged. “It’s taken all we have to travel to these meetings.”

So far MARP held similar meetings in Missoula and Bozeman. City commissions in Missoula and Livingston both passed a resolution supporting MARP’s efforts, though Bozeman has yet to discuss the issue. Meetings are scheduled for Butte in June, Great Falls in July, Helena in August as well as MARP’s annual meeting on September 15 in Lewistown. Green said feedback has been overwhelmingly positive at the meetings thus far.

“The thing that’s remarkable,” Green alluded, “They [attendees comments] don’t contradict each other’s too bad.”

Green is working with legislators in Helena to pass a $150,000 appropriation for the Montana Department of Transportation, students at the University of Montana and Montana State University-Billings to perform a statewide study of the feasibility of the project.

Senate Bill 294 would help freight railroads with passenger cars revamp infrastructure and other operational improvements to better accommodate rail service. States would get $237 million in capital grants for equipment. Green said Montana United States Senators Jim Tester (D) and Max Baucus (D) and Representative Dennis Rehberg (R) all support S. 294 (S. 184 in Congress). The problem lies in Wyoming and Idaho. Both senators in Wyoming and one in Idaho are against the bill. Green said ignorance as well as hard feelings towards the government after the Pioneer passenger line went under are both reasons for the states’ opposition.

When asked who would operate the passenger train, Green said he believed if Montana Rail Link hopped on board “they’d probably like to do the whole thing.” They have not said yes yet, Green said, but they have not said no, “and that’s important.”

Livingston Chamber of Commerce President Torsten Prahl told Green the main desire from the chamber’s point of view was to secure a commuter link between Livingston and Bozeman. Prahl told Green significant numbers of Livingstonians commute to work in Bozeman and many Bozemanites also commute to Livingston for work at places like Printing for Less and Livingston Memorial Hospital. Gallatin County Commissioner Steve White also Green Gallatin County’s desire is also for a commuter train through the Gallatin Valley.

Livingston City Commissioner Patricia Grabow mentioned a debate in the state legislature surrounding concerns that a southern line would take away business from the northern tier line across the Highline and into Whitefish and eventually Seattle. Green responded, “Our mission statement is to retain, improve and increase railroad passenger service in Montana. We do not want to substitute the south for the north. It would be an economic disaster if they stopped the Empire Builder and we would fight that.”

Green several times came back to his earlier appeal that membership in MARP is crucial in both supporting railroad passenger efforts as well as in sending a strong, supportive citizen message to elected officials. To join MARP, send a $24 check to the Montana Association of Railroad Passengers at 2110 Wingate Lane, Billings, MT 59102.

Like this story? Get more! Sign up for our free newsletters.