“The Federal Railroad Administration is looking into bringing Amtrak to South Dakota.…The federal study is due to Congress next spring and it will be up to Congress to decide if they want to implement service.

“They’re only looking at…existing rail infrastructures, such as RCPE line or the Badlands route…,” said Dan Bilka, president, All Aboard Northwest.” https://www.kotatv.com/2023/10/28/amtrak-could-be-rolling-its-way-through-black-hills/ #Amtrak #PassengerRail #SouthDakota #GreaterNW

“On September 3, 1887, an event took place in Boise that was worthy of a ribbon cutting and a parade. Neither happened because the arrival of the first train came as a bit of a surprise. The train moved slowly because ties and rails were being laid just in front of it as the engine proceeded.” https://www.rickjust.com/blog/the-first-train-in-boise1171741 #Trains #Boise #History

“U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) announced he will place holds on all Amtrak nominees until the White House provides a slate of nominees that complies with the law requiring representation from states served by long-distance routes.” https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=2764CFB2-F9E6-411F-A1E0-7FD6EC1E6A06 #Amtrak #PassengerRail

Dan Bilka’s Train Treks https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCqHgiSW-DFvis6vYqW-cLj6V-zT91T-p #TrainTrek23

“Preliminary concepts for Amtrak Cascades service growth have surfaced, offering an early look into the potential direction of frequencies and infrastructure enhancements to support them. As part of a renewed service development plan process responding to public feedback, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has developed five options to illustrate different frequency levels, stop patterns, and top speeds.” https://www.theurbanist.org/2023/10/16/concepts-for-amtrak-cascades-service-growth-have-arrived/ #Amtrak #AmtrakCascades #PassengerRail

Where Montana stands with the possibility of adding more passenger rail service. Report starts at 13:58. https://watch.montanapbs.org/video/203-property-tax-increase-passenger-rail-service-lwidn4/ #GreaterNW #Montana #PassengerRail

White House to withdraw Amtrak nominee to lift Senate blockade
The slate nominated to the Amtrak board is now expected to include someone from a Western state https://rollcall.com/2023/10/11/white-house-to-withdraw-amtrak-nominee-to-lift-senate-blockade/ #Amtrak #GreaterNW

“Rail advocates say enticing more passengers to take a train instead of driving or flying — and making a dent in the heavy climate impact of American transportation — will require measures to reduce those delays and boost train travel’s speed and reliability. “ https://www.kuow.org/stories/dude-where-s-my-train-why-freight-makes-amtrak-late #Amtrak #GreaterNW #PassengerRail