Congressman Earl Pomeroy had good news for Devils Lake late Thursday afternoon, indeed for all towns along a section of railroad from Rugby to Grand Forks that had an uncertain future because of infrastucture concerns caused by flooding in the Devils Lake Basin.
The good news? There will be no change in the route Amtrak takes through the state.
Pomeroy together with Senators Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad met with the president of Amtrak and officials from Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad in Conrad’s office yesterday to discuss the future of rail service to the area.
Of concern was a stretch of rail line near Churchs Ferry being undermined by high water levels and a softening rail bed.
The Amtrak Empire Builder has a long history serving the area as it travels its regular route across the country. It utilizes railroad tracks owned and maintained by BNSF railroad.
The state’s congressional delegation assured the rail officials that they would find the necessary funding needed should continued flooding threaten the rail’s infrastructure.
Likewise the congressional delegation secured a commitment from the railroads to work together to address infrastructure problems and ensure there are no disruptions in service at any North Dakota stations.
A statement released by the delegation said, “Amtrak service is a critical part of North Dakota’s transportation network, and we can’t allow service to be disrupted in any of these communities,” the delegation said in a joint statement.
“We had a good meeting here today, and the officials from Amtrak and BNSF made clear that they understand how important this issue is to North Dakota. They agreed to work with us to address infrastructure issues, and they said they are committed to maintaining service at all of our North Dakota stations. That’s good news for the thousands of North Dakotans who depend on passenger rail every day.”
The Empire Builder serves seven stations in North Dakota. Last year, North Dakotans logged nearly 116,000 trips on the Empire Builder.
The delegation has fought for years to ensure the federal government invests in long-distance passenger rail like the Empire Builder. They said the commitment that the Obama Administration has shown to Amtrak is a good sign for the future of the rail service.
