Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Bill to create state fund for passenger‑rail work draws broad local support; advocates cite tourism and safety benefits
Summary
House Bill 848 would create a Big Sky Rail account and an annual $2 million statutory appropriation to help the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority and local partners plan, match federal grants and develop passenger‑rail projects in Montana.
Representative Denise Baum opened a hearing on House Bill 848, a bill to establish a state special‑revenue Big Sky Rail account and an annual statutory appropriation (the sponsor proposed $2 million) to help the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority and local partners plan and match federal grants for passenger‑rail restoration and upgrades.
Big Sky Passenger Rail Chairman David Strohmeyer urged committee support, describing the authority as a multi‑county governmental entity that has expanded to 18 counties and made progress on the North Coast (southern) corridor, including a $15 million infrastructure grant on BNSF’s Milk River Subdivision to remove bottlenecks and improve safety. Dan Bucks, chair of the authority’s development committee, said properly built passenger…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
