Southern Montana Train Route Would Bring in Big Business

This plan has been gaining steam, and thanks to the passing of the Infrastructure Plan from Congress, this idea is more becoming a reality every day. 

Recently, the Infrastructure Bill was passed, and $66 billion of the trillion-dollar plan is going straight towards trains and railroads. The money is for new and existing train routes. This plan means there is a real possibility the Southern Rail Route through Montana could come back. 

Plus, there is more backing for this route to return. According to a new report from Amtrak, if the southern route was brought back this could bring in an annual $271 million to local economies on the route. That means places like Bozeman, Billings, Butte, Missoula, and other Montana cities could see more money come in from travelers. 

This number could be a low figure, especially when you think bout the destinations you could go to from Bozeman(Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, Denver, etc.). Bringing back this route could help folks who are afraid of flying or driving, especially during the winter, and bring in more money from tourists. 

I have spoken at length about how I would love to have this train route come back to Montana. I especially hate driving during the winter over several mountain passes, and just taking the train to Missoula and catching a ride with my sister home would be a perfect option. 

We might be hearing word soon from Amtrak if there is any plan to bring back this train route within the next few years. If they have a stop in Belgrade/Bozeman, where would they put the train station? There are only a few places that would make sense. Either way, that building is going to look incredible. 

For more details, check out Rail Passenger Authority.