Empire Builder gets back on schedule
Amtrak’s Empire Builder passenger train service will soon be back on its normal schedule with more convenient arrival and departure times in Whitefish.
Beginning Jan. 12, westbound trains will arrive at 8:56 p.m., while eastbound trains will arrive at 7:26 a.m.
Amtrak changed the schedule in April to cope with high volumes of freight traffic and railroad work on the route owned by BNSF Railway. The changes bumped the westbound arrival in Whitefish to 10:26 p.m., and the eastbound arrival to 4:26 a.m.
Dylan Boyle, director of the Whitefish Convention and Visitor Bureau, said a return to the regular schedule is good news for the local tourism industry.
“We’ve had some real issues since the schedule changed,” he said. “The visitor experience is not what we wanted it to be. Hotels, especially, were having a hard time with the schedule. The new times are much more welcoming.”
The Empire Builder travels between Portland, Seattle and Chicago. Whitefish is the busiest stop in Montana with about 65,000 riders coming here in 2013.
However, the route’s on-time arrival rate in the past year has been a dismal 23.9 percent with the primary cause of delay as train interference, according to Amtrak reports.
As a result, ridership at Whitefish is down 27 percent through the first 10 months of the year compared to 2013, according to data from the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana.
“That’s 15,000 less people coming [to Whitefish],” Boyle said. “The delays and schedule change really hit us hard.”
BNSF Railway spokesman Matt Jones says the rail company has invested $1 billion in improvements to help improve traffic flow for both freight and passenger service. The improvements included 55 miles of double track between Glasgow and Minot, N.D., 17 miles of double track in Washington, as well as siding extensions and yard expansions.
“All of these will contribute to significant additional capacity along the northern corridor,” Jones said.
In a press statement, BNSF Railway says its committed to work to improve the performance of the Empire Builder going forward.
“BNSF has a long history of hosting passenger service on our freight network,” said DJ Mitchell, AVP Passenger Operations, BNSF Railway. “The investments we are continuing to make will help improve reliability for all our customers, including Amtrak.”
Boyle says it’s “wait and see” if the on-time arrival rate improves, but he’s optimistic.
“It’s a positive step, especially for visitors on the West coast where we’re known as the ‘train town,’” he said.
Amtrak currently is offering a 30 percent discount on tickets to Whitefish through April 20.
“Hopefully there will be some folks who want to take advantage of the deal this winter,” Boyle said.
Also effective with the schedule restoration, the Empire Builder will resume operating on its normal route in both directions in North Dakota. Amtrak will then discontinue the use of chartered buses to cover missed station stops in Grand Forks, Devils Lake and Rugby, N.D., which has been routine since May.