Sen. Cramer: Federal Railroad Administration Awards $500,000 to Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, announced a $500,000 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program to the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority (BSPRA). The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) established the Corridor ID program to facilitate the development of intercity passenger rail corridors. 

BSPRA’s efforts to restore passenger rail service on Amtrak’s North Coast Hiawatha Chicago to Seattle route could result in the restoration of service to several communities in North Dakota left unserved since 1979, including Jamestown, Bismarck, Mandan, and Dickinson.

With the announcement of this grant, BSPRA is eligible to proceed to the first phase of the Corridor ID Program, which involves developing a scope, schedule, and cost estimate for preparing, completing, or documenting its service development plan.

Earlier this year, Senator Cramer wrote a letter to the FRA in support of the project, stating the new route will provide more transportation options for travelers in North Dakota as well as communities across the Midwest and northwest regions.