Tester Introduces Bill To Restore Amtrak Full Service
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., increased his aggressive push last week to restore Amtrak service to Montana’s Hi-Line communities by introducing legislation to reinstate furloughed Amtrak employees and return complete long-distance service to routes like the Empire Builder. “Montana is a huge state. Long-distance rail is really important,” Tester said during a press conference call. Amtrak’s reduction from seven days a week to three days a week for the Empire Builder went into effect on Monday, Oct. 19. Currently, the eastbound Empire Builder stops in Wolf Point on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The westbound train stops in Wolf Point on Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays.
“It has devastated communities along the Hi-Line,” Tester said. “It keeps folks disconnected from family and friends across this country.”
The senator is looking to gain support from other senators from impacted states.
“Long-distance Amtrak service creates good paying jobs on the Hi-Line, generates revenue for Montana’s frontier communities, and keeps folks connected with family and friends across the country,” Tester said. “These cuts were an unacceptable attack on rural America, and my legislation will right that wrong by reinstating Montana’s furloughed Amtrak employees and restoring full long-distance service to the Empire Builder. Our state has been hit hard by the pandemic, and my bill will help put our economy back on track and get Montanans back to work.”
Tester’s legislation would reverse cuts imposed by Amtrak late last year, which furloughed Montana jobs and reduced service on the Empire Builder from seven days per week to three - a move that Tester vehemently opposed.
Amtrak operates 15 long-distance routes in 47 states across the country, connecting rural and urban centers and providing inter-state mobility to underserved communities and populations. The Empire Builder Long-Distance Line includes 12 stations along the Montana Hi-Line that served 121,429 passengers who boarded or disembarked in the state in 2019.
