Latest news with #BigSkyPassengerRailAuthority
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ND Legislature allocates $150,000 for passenger rail service project
May 17—JAMESTOWN — The North Dakota Legislature allocated $150,000 for the creation of a service development plan to restore passenger rail service from Chicago to Seattle. Dave Strohmaier, chair of the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, said the $150,000 will be part of a new $11 million grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration. As part of the agreement, $1.1 million is needed to match the federal dollars. Strohmaier said on Wednesday, May 14, that North Dakota is the only state that has allocated funding for the $11 million grant agreement. He said a few states' legislatures are still in session and working on their budgets. "The Rail Authority is kicking off a capital campaign to close the gap on the balance of the dollars we need to move forward," he said. Strohmaier said about another $1 million is needed for the match of the federal dollars. He said the route for passenger rail service would go through eight states. The Federal Railroad Administration awarded a $500,000 grant from its Corridor Identification and Development Program to the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority to restore passenger rail service on the former North Coast Hiawatha Chicago to Seattle route, which is known as the Big Sky North Coast Corridor. Passenger rail projects in Amtrak's North Coast Hiawatha are overseen by the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority. The Big Sky North Coast Corridor would go through eight states from Chicago to Seattle, including southern Montana and North Dakota. The route would go through Fargo, Jamestown, Bismarck, Dickinson and Medora. The concept of high-performance rail includes both freight and passenger operations, The Jamestown Sun reported in March. The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority is developing a route that would include two trains in each direction daily, ensuring that every community with a stop has at least one daylight train. Sen. Terry Wanzek, R-Jamestown, said allocating the $150,000 to the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority gives the state the ability to participate in the planning of the passenger rail route. "If we didn't participate, a plan could be developed and we might not have a say in whether they stop in Jamestown, Medora, Bismarck and Fargo or anywhere else," he said. Rep. Craig Headland, R-Montpelier, said the passenger rail route going through North Dakota will help with tourism. He said tourism is the third-leading industry in the state. "I think it would enhance what we are trying to create here in North Dakota," he said. Headland said the passenger rail route could help get out-of-state visitors to stop in Jamestown, Bismarck or Medora. "I think it would be used," he said. "I just think it would be a big boost." Jamestown City Councilman David Steele said he hasn't heard any negative comments about the passenger rail route going through Jamestown. "Everybody has been positive wishing it was done tomorrow or yesterday," he said. Steele said the passenger trains would be great for tourism for all communities along the route. "We just need to make the connections with the public and what the advantages would be to having passenger rail," he said. Strohmaier said the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority is in the process of completing the first step of the Corridor Identification and Development Program. "We're coming up with a scope schedule and budget for creation of a service development plan for the route," he said. The service development plan results in a corridor project inventory that identifies the capital projects necessary to achieve the proposed service, according to the Federal Railroad Administration's document on providing a scope of work framework for creating a service development plan. Strohmaier said the goal is to have the passenger rail service starting in the early to mid-2030s. He said it will take about two to three years to finish the service development plan. "That gets us up to the point of step three, which is the final step in this program, and that's when we begin preliminary engineering and environmental analysis," he said. "That's going to be another probably couple-year-long exercise to do all of that engineering and so that that gets you five or six years into this." Strohmaier said the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority also will need to think about the fabrication of the trains. "We're going to have to start relatively soon thinking about how to get an order lined up so that when we finish all of the planning, all the infrastructure investment, we'll actually have the trains ready," he said. After the planning work is done, he said the groundwork can begin. "That could be double tracking," Strohmaier said. "It could be the reestablishment of stations themselves, which can run the gamut from pretty simple to much more elaborate based on what a community wants." The Federal Railroad Administration will make the final decision on the locations when approving the service development plan for the route. For more information about the Corridor Identification and Development Program and the Big Sky Rail Authority, visit .
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Passenger rail bill derails on Senate floor
A Union Pacific train transports coal. (Photo by Spenser Heaps/Utah News Dispatch) The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority will likely not see state funding from this session. House Bill 848, which would have taken $2 million from the railroad car tax and directed it to the authority, failed 23-27 on second reading in the Senate. The tax brings in about $4 million annually and the money currently goes into the general fund. 'We are not deterred easily,' Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority chairman Dave Strohmaier said Wednesday after the floor vote. 'In spite of what may seem a setback, we're full steam ahead.' The bill was carried by Rep. Denise Baum, D-Billings, who pushed for months to get movement on legislation. It found broad support from legislators in the House, as well as both the Senate and House transportation committees. However, during its Senate transportation hearing, lobbyists representing large industry interests testified against the bill. Most of their issues were based around the railroad tax being used to fund the agency. 'I don't think any of the opponents would probably be here today if it weren't for the funding mechanism in this bill,' BNSF lobbyist Matt Jones said on April 9. He added that new passenger rail should not interfere with existing freight rail and, 'the freight industry and freight customers should not be expected to subsidize passenger service.' Montana Petroleum Association lobbyist Sonny Capece said it would contribute to congestion on the railway. He added it wasn't a viable option. 'Let the private industry do it. If private industry can make this profitable, let them do it,' Capece said. 'There's plenty of private railroads nationwide that exist on a profit-making model. This one is not one of them.' Dan Bucks, former Director of Revenue for Montana and a proponent of the bill, said the legislation wouldn't have increased the tax. In fact, he said, he was familiar with the tax through his former position running the revenue department. 'It's nearly impossible for the state to even contemplate increasing the rail car tax because of a federal law called the 4R Act that sets very tight standards for how the tax is levied,' Bucks said. Funding the authority could be a boon for everyone, he added. 'We are not focused simply on passenger rail, but also on improving the freight system for its own sake, for agricultural ship rules, mineral shippers and anybody else shipping out of Montana or using the rails for freight,' Bucks said during a hearing on April 9. 'We're interested in improving the freight service and the passenger service together so that we reduce any delay.' Two lines in Montana have already been picked as viable routes for increased passenger rail. Both proposed passenger rail routes going through Montana would be longer than 750 miles, meaning the federal government would be primarily responsible for running the route. It would cost billions to get passenger rail routes fully operational, but proponents of the legislation said much of the money would come from the federal government. Congress, in fact, would likely have to approve any spending on passenger rail of that magnitude. And even then, HB 848's funding would have gone to figuring out where the major hurdles for passenger rail would be. It would also help them match and leverage federal funding to move the project forward. 'You have to have a steady or stable funding source to be able to unlock that match,' Baum said. On the floor, the bill saw trouble immediately as Senators received a letter on their desk signed by lobbyists from the Treasure State Resource Association, the Montana Wood Products Association, the Montana Coal Council, the Montana Grain Growers Association, the Montana Agricultural Business Association, the Montana Petroleum Association, the Montana Grain Elevator Association, the Montana Mining Association, the Montana Farm Bureau Federation and the Montana Chamber of Commerce. 'Although HB 848 redirects receipts from an existing rail tax, it creates an unacceptable precedent where freight rail customers are subsidizing passenger rail initiatives,' according to the letter, which was distributed by Sen. Shelley Vance, R-Belgrade. 'Whether intentional or not, it also creates a potential expectation that freight shippers will be expected to contribute additional revenue in the future. 'Passenger rail does not benefit freight rail customers. In fact, it has the potential to interfere with the existing service we rely on.' On the floor, the legislation saw some support, while detractors, including Majority Leader Tom McGillvary, R-Billings, essentially said passenger rail expansion was a fever dream. 'This is the most absurd bill I have seen this session,' McGillvary said. 'If you vote yes on this bill you're living in a fantasy land.' Following the failed vote, the bill was indefinitely postponed. There was some frustration from rail supporters about how the discussion went. 'There was a lack of understanding about what we've accomplished in the last four years,' Strohmaier said. HB848-Letter
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority bill moves to Senate with bipartisan support
The bill, if passed, would give a state appropriation to the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority for the first time Rep. Denise Baum was ecstatic following a 63-35 House vote on Saturday morning to move HB 848, creating the Big Sky Rail account, over to the Senate. The Billings Democrat is carrying a bill that would, if passed, give a state appropriation to the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority for the first time. The authority would receive $2 million annually until a sunset date on June 30, 2031. 'I'm extremely excited,' Baum said Saturday morning. 'This is such a truly momentous piece of legislation, building out infrastructure and just having people understand that the infrastructure is already there.' If passed, the bill would support planning, outreach and organizational work. It would also help local governments apply for larger grants and help the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority decide which places passenger rail would stop at. The money is not going toward large capital projects or building new railroads. The bill got support in the Energy, Technology and Federal Relations Committee hearing from the Montana Economic Developers Association, the Missoula Chamber of Commerce, the AFL-CIO and various local elected officials from across the state. It also had some bipartisan support on the House floor. Rep. Ed Byrne, R-Bigfork, and Rep. Katie Zolnikov, R-Billings both urged a pass on the legislation on the floor. 'When you have issues such as this that are so extremely impactful to Montanans across the state … political party lines blur,' Baum said. The fiscal impact led to some opposition. Rep. Neil Duram, R-Eureka, and Rep. Tom Millett, R-Marion, both spoke against the legislation, with Millett bemoaning the Legislature for spending money 'like a drunken sailor.' Two routes through Montana were selected as 'preferred routes' in the Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study. It was a federal nod from the Federal Railroad Administration that the routes were viable. Much of the rail lines are already in use for freight cargo, and proponents of the bill have said repeatedly passenger rail and freight can coexist. The money comes from a railroad tax fund, which has been looked at as a funding source for several bills this session. House Bill 103, brought by Rep. Zolnikov, would have created funding for railroad inspections and was looking to use funding from the railroad tax fund. The bill was tabled in committee and Baum said it 'unfortunately' went down. The Legislative Services Division released a letter on that bill, which included an estimate of railroad tax revenue — about $4 million per year. The money previously went to the general fund. An amendment to House Bill 2 added some money for train inspections back into the budget.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Yahoo
Passenger rail service with stop in Jamestown could begin in 8 to 10 years
Mar. 1—JAMESTOWN — Passenger rail service from Chicago to Seattle, which includes a stop in Jamestown, could begin in eight to 10 years, according to Dave Strohmaier, chair of the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority. Strohmaier said the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority is in the process of developing a project scope and budget to restore passenger rail service from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest. "We hope to finish the scoping phase later this spring, April or May," he said. He said service development planning will take about 18 to 24 months and then a final design will be made for the passenger rail service project. He said construction on the project could begin in about three years. The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority held a meeting on Thursday, Feb. 27, to discuss the restoration of the North Coast Hiawatha Chicago to Seattle route. Local officials and city of Jamestown staff attended the meeting that was held online at City Hall. "We look at this as kind of a transformative opportunity for our community and for the state of North Dakota," Councilman David Steele said, referring to Jamestown being a stop on the route. "I think we would have strong community support." The Federal Railroad Administration awarded a $ 500,000 grant from its Corridor Identification and Development Program to the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority to restore passenger rail service on the former North Coast Hiawatha Chicago to Seattle route, which is known as the Big Sky North Coast Corridor. Passenger rail projects in Amtrak's North Coast Hiawatha are overseen by the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority. The grant that the authority is working under is not in jeopardy with the pause in federal grants, said Becky Rosenleaf, a member of the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority's consulting team for corridor identification. The Big Sky North Coast Corridor would go through eight states from Chicago to Seattle, including southern Montana and North Dakota. The route would go through Fargo, Jamestown, Bismarck and Dickinson. "It's important to lay out, in our estimation, a bold vision for what passenger rail in the 21st century can look like and first and foremost for us this means high-performance rail," Strohmaier said. He said the concept of high-performance rail includes both freight and passenger operations. "We're looking at how do we enhance the financial viability of this route and of this service," he said. "One way to do that is looking at ways to bring a more entrepreneurial spirit to the table, creative spirit that's looking for ways to enhance revenue, which might be reinstating something like small parcel delivery that once existed in conjunction with passenger trains in this nation." Strohmaier said the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority is developing a route that would include two trains in each direction daily, ensuring that every community with a stop has at least one daylight train. He said 21st century trains would be used on the route and the authority is looking at the feasibility of and possibility of trains with hydrogen fuel cells. The No. 1 factor in determining locations for train stations is the local initiative and commitment and cooperation between surrounding areas, said Dan Bucks, a citizen volunteer for the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority. "I would urge communities that are interested in train stations to think of the rail line not simply as the tracks and the facilities that would be in their community ... but rather ... that it is a corridor of opportunity that stretches depending on terrain up to 90 miles away either direction from your train station," he said. He said the locations would need to show the socio-economic benefits of the service and the ridership relative to population needs to be high. The Federal Railroad Administration will make the final decision on the locations when approving the service development plan for the route. Bucks said likely sites would include larger cities that have a wide variety of trade and service areas, including retail, medical, education, cultural opportunities and other professional services. "Gateways to major destinations such as national parks, historic rail station locations will be looked at again as likely sites for stations," he said. "... Locations are needed to maintain the trains, to refuel them, to resupply the items that are used in transit along the route. Those locations with the railyards and the appropriate supply connections are also going to be likely sites." He said communities committed to using passenger rail to develop opportunities for their citizens and the surrounding area will increase their likelihood of being selected as a location for a stop. Bucks said the train stations will be about 50 miles apart on average. The stops could be closer if there are gateways to different areas such as Yellowstone National Park. He also said the route has potential to develop sub-theme bison and native cultures. "There are several communities that have a connection to bison-related destinations along this route," he said. Steele said Jamestown is home of the World's Largest Buffalo monument and has several smaller communities in the surrounding area. Steele said one issue in Jamestown includes four railway crossings being close together in the center of the city. He said the concern with that would be the length of time a train would be stopped and blocking the crossings. "We have very limited access for emergency vehicles if a train is on our tracks blocking the crossings," he said. "We do have an aged viaduct that is not capable of large safety equipment to travel, and we do not have an overpass to go over the tracks." Bucks said communities should look at eliminating grade crossings to ensure a smoother flow of traffic. Grade crossing elimination is the process of removing a point where a road intersects with a railroad track at the same level. Strohmaier said there won't be mile-long passenger trains. "That would be one of the goals to try to achieve, and that is trains that are stopped at a station are not simultaneously blocking crossings," he said. He said the length of a train stop would depend on a number of variables, including if it is a refueling station and a location for small-parcel delivery. Another issue for the city of Jamestown includes not having a train depot, Steele said. "We would have to reestablish a building site and create a building itself," he said. He said the city's preference is to have a station in downtown Jamestown. He said discussions have been held to have more than one service for the station. "We don't have a real bus station in town so maybe a combination of the two would work ... depending on probably location," he said. "Opportunities would probably be for rental car services and things like that." Strohmaier said communities wanting a stop on the route should update any transportation planning documents with a reference to the passenger rail service. "For you all out there who are planners and going after grant funds, you know full well the importance of being able to connect and create a nexus between your ask and some planning that you've done already," he said. He also said mixed-use and transit-oriented development is important for communities. "Some of the tools that you can use for this would be urban renewal districts, tax increment finance districts, bringing those financial instruments to bear to not just create a station or a platform where you get on and off a train, but creating a hub of activity that supports commercial, residential and retail development before we move on," he said. Strohmaier said communities should contact their state and congressional officials to get support for the project. He said $200,000 from each state will be needed to secure a 10% nonfederal match grant for the service development phase.
