News - One Post Leads To Another

Idaho & Montana getting new passenger stations and service?

Occasionally when I'm researching railroad news that impacts the Northwest, I'll get more than I asked for. And now, the news...

Bonner County Daily Bee reported that the Amtrak Station in Sandpoint ID might be replaced by another depot in a different location. While reading the article online, my eyes happened to catch a small phrase that led to a bigger discovery:

“We’re going to study and produce a report that looks at the possibilities, and the costs and opportunities of restoring the North Coast Hiawatha service,” he said."

What?? That opened me up to yet another news story, which was made possible by stimulus money pointed straight at Amtrak. The carrier - in the face of ever-increasing rail passengers - is looking into reinstating the North Coast Hiawatha to run from Chicago, along the southern part of Montana, and on its way to Seattle. The route over Northern Pacific trackage was discontinued 30 years ago, which took many of Montana's major cities off the passenger service map. What's surprising - and a bit pathetic - is the NCH was discontinued because it fell below 150 passengers per mile - coming in at 149.

USA Today has this article about the potential route addition.

Will the North Coast Hiawatha once again run into King Street Station? Maybe not, because Seattle is well served by both the Empire Builder and the Coast Starlight (along with the Cascades and regional Sound Transit routes). But the possibility of a newer NCH terminating in Spokane or Sandpoint is very real, allowing those passengers to simply connect with the Empire if they are coming out to "The Coast."



View North Coast Hiawatha Proposed Route in a Google map