Empire Builder celebrates return to regular schedule

Amtrak’s Empire Builder was greeted with excitement Tuesday morning as the train returned to its regular schedule.

The eastbound train pulled in about 15 minutes ahead of its scheduled 7:26 a.m. arrival time. Waiting at the Whitefish Depot were officials from Whitefish, Amtrak and BNSF Railway.

“The Empire Builder is back,” Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said. “We’ve worked hard to return to a normal schedule. We know how important this route is to Whitefish.”

Passengers riding the eastbound and westbound train will once again be able to take in views of Glacier National Park as the train travels through the area during daylight hours. The westbound train will now arrive in Whitefish at 8:56 p.m.

For the past several months, travel in and out of Whitefish by Amtrak has been hampered by a schedule change that bumped the eastbound arrival to 4:26 a.m. and the westbound arrival to 10:26 p.m. In addition, the on-time arrival rate the past year has been 23.9 percent because of train interference, according to Amtrak.

Magliari acknowledged that ridership has been “down significantly.”

“We want to rebuild ridership,” he said. “We believe lengthy delays are behind us.”

Passenger trains have faced delays since the Bakken oil field boom, when freight trains created congestion on the BNSF-owned tracks.

The railway 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.

Dylan Boyle, director of the Whitefish Convention and Visitor Bureau, praised the return of the schedule.

“I want to thank BNSF and Amtrak for investing to make this change happen,” he said. “The railroad is an essential part of our heritage. Train travel in Whitefish is important.”

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.

Whitefish city manager Chuck Stearns said the morning and evening arrivals are much more convenient.

“We’re pleased and thrilled that Amtrak will be returning to the normal schedule,” he said. “This is important for the Whitefish market.”