All aboard: Public comment period open for proposed Billings-El Paso Amtrak route through Big Horn Basin

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has released its preferred new long-distance routes for further study and public comment, with one map including Wyoming’s Big Horn Basin and a stop in Greybull. The FRA envisions doubling America’s long-distance Amtrak rail network with 15 new routes, the scale of which has not been seen since the 1950s, when America’s Interstate Highway System was first developed.

Funding for the FRA and the expansion of Amtrak comes from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which earmarked $66 billion in funds for the development of a more robust public rail system. According to the Rail Passengers Association, if the current proposed map is to be fully realized, then 89% of Americans would gain access to rail transport, cutting back on demand for flights and eliminating the stress of driving for tens of millions annually. Put another way, the Baseline Amtrak network provides service for 247 million Americans; if the Preferred Routes are put into use, that number will grow to 292 million Americans having access to rail, including 27 million rural Americans, who endure longer travel times and drive greater distances, on average.

Amtrak was first established by the Rail Passenger Act of 1970, which removed the requirement for private U.S. railroad companies to provide intercity rail transport for Amtrak to fulfill instead. In 1971, the United States Department of Transportation (US DOT) designated 21 cities between which passenger rail should operate, roughly half the size (in route miles) of the pre-1971 passenger rail system. While several additional routes were added at Congress’ request throughout the 1970s, long-distance public rail has undergone a series of contractions in the 50 years since, resulting in rural communities losing transport options as well as the potential economic and social benefits rail can provide.

Wyoming fell victim to these austerity measures first in 1983, when Amtrak officials removed the historic Union Pacific Overland route that had first established itself in Cheyenne in 1867. At the time, officials pointed toward the lack of scenery in southern Wyoming, saying they hoped that the Denver-Rio Grande route would generate more passengers; the state of Wyoming sued twice to block the move, but failed in federal court. Subsequent appeals also failed. The decision stemmed from the 1978 Amtrak Improvement Act, wherein Congress asked US DOT to evaluate Amtrak based on its financial performance; several routes were eliminated on the basis of low ridership density and loss per passenger-mile. In 1991, Amtrak returned to Wyoming with the Pioneer, which used the historic Overland route for public travel the first time since 1983 as part of a passenger route between Chicago and Seattle. Six years later, in 1997, Wyoming lost its access to long-distance rail again when the Pioneer’s Congressional mandate expired and Oregon’s legislature refused Amtrak’s requests for funding.

Currently, Amtrak operates 15 long-distance routes nationwide at distances ranging between 760 and 2,500 miles; in 2019, 4.5 million people used long-distance Amtrak trains for their travel needs. 

The route through Greybull would be part of a proposed El Paso-Billings line, which includes additional stops in Albuquerque, Cheyenne, and Casper, as well as Denver, which will serve as a major hub between multiple north-south and east-west lines. In addition, the proposed Denver-Los Angeles route would run through Cheyenne and Rock Springs, resurrecting southern Wyoming’s Overland route once more. There is also ongoing research into alternate routes between Denver  and Sandpoint, Idaho, that could utilize the proposed Billings route or run alternate track from Cheyenne to Billings via Gillette.

While a stop in Greybull is not officially listed on any FRA documents, the committee is still in the early days of developing the route maps and welcoming public comments and other relevant input as they consider which routes to adopt and develop. The proposed route would use existing rail lines, such as that of the BNSF, meaning an Amtrak station could be in Greybull’s future if enough public support is there. The Billings-El Paso route and a potential Greybull station would provide the local community with links between the Big Horn Basin and 11 national parks, more than two dozen hospitals and medical centers, and 65 colleges and universities.

The additional funding made available to Amtrak through the BIL will also provide upgrades to existing rail infrastructure nationwide: energy-efficient trains, expanded and upgraded, ADA-compliant stations, new bridges, tunnel maintenance, upgraded siding, rail signals, crossovers and more. Such upgrades will make travel more accessible and convenient, eliminating delays, travel time and increasing capacity.

The public comment period is open until March 8. To review materials, please visit www.fralongdistancestudy.org; to provide comment, please email contact@fralongdistancerailstudy.org.