Big Sky Passenger Rail

05/30/2026

Always fascinating to read about James J. Hill
This documentary series is well worth watching.

https://www.pbs.org/show/the-empire-builder-james-j-hill-and-the-great-northern-railway/

May 29, 1916: James Jerome Hill dies in Saint Paul, Minnesota at the age of 78.

Hill was born in Rockwood- near Guelph, Ontario in 1838.

After moving to the United States, Hill became a member of the syndicate that would build the Canadian Pacific Railway. In 1883 he resigned in protest to the decision to build the CPR main line north of Lake Superior rather than through the U.S.

J.J. Hill became a mogul of railway expansion from his adopted home of Saint Paul, later constructing what would be come the Great Northern Railway from St. Paul to Seattle, Washington. This was Ithe only transcontinental line built without federal subsidy.

The Hill family had many impacts that are still visible today, including his former mansion home in Saint Paul on Summit Avenue.

Hill’s legacy is still commemorated with Great Northern’s best known passenger train, still running under the flag of Amtrak. The “Empire Builder”.

05/28/2026

Congratulations to Mountain Line and the Missoula Urban Transportation District on being named the 2026 Large Community Transportation System of the Year by the Community Transportation Association of America.

This is a well-deserved national recognition for a Montana transit leader.

Mountain Line has helped show what community-centered public transportation can look like: seven-day-a-week service, more than a decade of zero-fare service, major investment in battery-electric buses and partnerships that connect people to work, services and community.

For BSPRA, this recognition matters. Local transit, intercity connections and passenger rail are all part of a stronger, more connected transportation future for Montana.

Congratulations to Mountain Line, MUTD and all of this year’s CTAA award winners.

Read more:
https://ctaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-CTAA-Awards-Winners-Press-Release.pdf

FYI Missoula County, Montana - Government Montana Department of Transportation

05/26/2026

We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Philip Aaberg, one of Montana’s great artists.

Phil’s music carried the sound and spirit of Montana: its plains, distance, beauty, memory and sense of place.

He also understood what passenger rail means for rural Montanans. Last winter, Phil wrote to BSPRA after speaking up in support of the southern route, recalling his own many trips by train from Chester to Spokane, Harvard and beyond as part of a life in music, study and performance.

Those few sentences said more than many formal reports ever could. Passenger rail is about access, opportunity, connection and the ability of people from rural communities to reach the wider world.

BSPRA had hoped to welcome Phil as part of our Helena conference. We are grateful for the possibility of that connection, for his encouragement and for the extraordinary body of work he leaves behind.

Phil signed his messages with Brian Wilson’s words: “Listen...listen...listen.”

Today, that feels like the right reminder.

Our thoughts are with his family, friends, fellow musicians and all who were touched by his music.

Thank you, Philip Aaberg / Sweetgrass Music for giving Montana a sound all its own.

Philip Aaberg
April 8, 1949 - May 23, 2026

A beautiful life well lived through family, friends and music. And of course fly fishing.

Phil passed peacefully Saturday evening surrounded by Patty, his sons Jake and Michael and his brother Steve.

It was very clear by all of the comments on the last update that Phil was loved by many - we are so grateful for the community that has surrounded him over the years, and now.

Listen to his music, cast a line, and continue to share your favorite Phil stories.

05/25/2026

Today, we remember. 🇺🇸

This historic photograph captures "Butte’s Second Splendid Quota" of 317 men gathered on September 29, 1917, just moments before boarding passenger trains to serve their country in World War I.

For generations, America’s passenger rail network didn’t just move citizens - it carried our heroes away to defend our freedoms and it brought them back home to the communities that loved them.

On this Memorial Day, the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority pauses to honor the brave men and women who boarded those trains and made the ultimate sacrifice. We are forever grateful for their service, their bravery and the profound legacy they left behind.

Photo courtesy of the Montana History Portal / Montana Historical Society.

05/25/2026

Montana’s rail history is not a side story. It is one of the stories that shaped the state.

This American-Rails.com guide is a wonderful doorway into that history, from the railroads that helped build Montana’s communities and economy to the scenic rail experiences that still connect people with the landscape today.

It also highlights the Charlie Russell Chew Choo Dinner Train, Montana’s only scenic train ride, and reminds us that rail tourism still has a powerful place in how people experience the state.

For BSPRA, this history matters because passenger rail is not a new idea being imposed on Montana. It is part of Montana’s own transportation story.

Restoring passenger rail across southern Montana through the Big Sky North Coast Corridor is one way to carry that story forward, connecting communities, travelers and future generations to a rail legacy that is still very much alive.

Read the American-Rails.com guide below.

Presented in this guide is information pertaining to all available train rides and railroad museums located within the state of Montana. Found out everything you need to know here!

05/22/2026

Today, as we head into Memorial Day weekend, we want to pause and recognize Barry and Marilyn Green of Glendive, Montana.

Barry is a retired BNSF railroader, a longtime Rail Passengers Association leader representing the Northwest Council and one of the most tireless passenger rail advocates in the United States.

During a recent visit to Capitol Hill, Barry and Marilyn spent a full day visiting six Senate offices from Montana, Idaho and North Dakota to discuss passenger rail, rural connectivity and the Big Sky North Coast Corridor.

That kind of advocacy takes time, preparation, stamina and deep commitment. It also reflects something that has always powered passenger rail work: people who care enough to show up.

BSPRA is grateful to Barry and Marilyn for their generosity, encouragement and steady support for restoring passenger rail service to communities across Montana and the broader region.

We are also grateful for the broader network of passenger rail advocates working across the corridor, including Rail Passengers Association, All Aboard Washington, Aorta - Association of Oregon Rail and Transit Advocates and many others who continue to help connect local voices to regional and national action.

Thank you, Barry and Marilyn.
FYI Representative Denise Baum Commissioner Dave Strohmaier Jason Stuart Rich Wallace Barry Green

05/20/2026

Restoring passenger rail takes more than good intentions.

It takes public leadership, federal commitment, host railroad coordination, community support and partners who understand what it actually takes to run trains.

That is why BSPRA is pleased to recognize its memorandum of understanding with AIPRO Rail, the Association for Innovative Passenger Rail Operations.

AIPRO brings together rail labor, manufacturers, operators, contractors and technical experts focused on expanding passenger rail in the real world. That includes the kinds of partners BSPRA will need at the table as planning advances, from labor voices to equipment manufacturers such as Stadler and rail infrastructure and operations leaders such as Herzog.

The MOU creates a framework for collaboration, information-sharing and continued dialogue as BSPRA advances the Big Sky North Coast Corridor.

Passenger rail needs momentum. It also needs people and organizations willing to do the work.

BSPRA welcomes this partnership with AIPRO Rail.

05/18/2026

Want to hear directly from Amtrak hello that was fast leadership?

The Amtrak Board of Directors will hold a public virtual meeting on Thursday, May 21 at 11 a.m. ET. Amtrak executives are expected to brief the Board on financial and operational performance and provide updates on major infrastructure projects.

Public registration is required by Wednesday, May 20.

For anyone following the future of passenger rail, long-distance service, equipment, infrastructure and national rail policy, this is an important opportunity to listen in.

Register here:
https://media.amtrak.com/2026/04/amtrak-to-hold-public-board-of-directors-meeting-2/

The Amtrak Board of Directors will convene a meeting on May 21, 2026, which will be accessible to the public virtually.

05/17/2026

Montana’s rail story is still shaping its future.

This Billings Gazette America 250 feature offers a sweeping look at how railroads helped shape Montana’s communities, economy, settlement patterns, tourism, industry and transportation network.

It is a complicated history, and the article does not shy away from that. Railroads brought growth, connection and opportunity, while also leaving deep impacts on workers, Tribal Nations, land ownership and communities that are still part of Montana’s story today.

For BSPRA, that history matters because passenger rail was once part of everyday life across much of the state. Until 1979, the North Coast Hiawatha served communities across southern Montana, including Billings, Bozeman, Helena and Missoula. After that service ended, many of Montana’s largest population centers lost passenger rail service and remain without it today.

BSPRA’s work builds on that history by advancing the full Big Sky North Coast Corridor, the former North Coast Hiawatha route, as part of a modern, national passenger rail network.

Montana’s rail past is not just something to remember. It is part of the case for what comes next.

Read the article:
https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/history/article_b509baaa-9517-4897-a4c0-11fe6787caa0.html?gift=1&gift_token=374494cd-ba18-40be-924e-1a09d2d3ad4d

The Northern Pacific Railroad, first chartered by Congress in 1864 and the northernmost of the country’s land-grant railroads, first crossed into the eastern part of Montana territory in 1881.

05/14/2026

Transportation choice should not be a luxury.

A new The Guardian piece looks at how far many U.S. communities have fallen behind their global peers when it comes to public transportation, trains and alternatives to driving.

For Montana and the Greater Northwest, the lesson is clear: people need more options for moving.

Passenger rail is part of that larger picture. It can connect rural communities, support tourism, improve access to jobs and services and give people options when driving is not practical, affordable, safe, or possible.

Read the article:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/06/american-cities-cars-public-transportation

With most major European cities well served by trains and buses, bringing US transit up to par would cost $4.6tn