“DEER LODGE, Mont. — For nearly a century, passenger trains rumbled at least three times weekly through this broad, grass-rich mountain valley in central Montana, home to more cattle than people, until Amtrak pulled the plug on the North Coast Hiawatha in 1979.
“But with a new president known as “Amtrak Joe” and Democratic control of both houses of Congress, a dozen counties across the sparsely populated state are hoping that a return to passenger train service through the cities of Billings, Bozeman, Helena and Missoula, and whistle stops like Deer Lodge in between, is closer than it has been in four decades.”

Where did it go exactly?

“Making the journey between Chicago and Seattle, the Hiawatha served the largest cities in Montana. Its absence left a gap in a state where cities and services are widely scattered and public transportation is poor to nonexistent, especially for low-income residents.”

Here’s its timetable from 1952:

This route used to go through that big empty space in between the two highest red lines heading west from Chicago, going more through the centre of Montana:

Just Montana is about one and a half times the size of the UK, to give you an idea of the space out there.

There’s a lot of history associated with the railroads in these parts. For instance:

“The railroads were also instrumental in the creation of the national parks and park infrastructure, which their originators saw as destinations for passengers.”

And:

“[A] new train service would open up secluded parts of the vast state. “There’s a big part of Montana that is virtually untouched, that can only be seen from the railroad,” Mr. Jennings said.

No cars in sight. That’s the best.

Of course, there is still reality in general, and also 2020-2021 reality in particular, to deal with:

“The pandemic, though, has caused financial havoc for Amtrak, as it has for other forms of transportation. Ridership has been down 80 percent.”

And:

“Defending the current funding for Amtrak’s routes is a constant battle, so the notion of adding new ones is seen as a long shot.”

We’re not out of the tunnel yet, Muriel.

Let’s wait a bit and see what Amtrak Joe can do about this.