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Legislators spotlight passenger‑rail grants, Malta project and workforce gaps
Summary
Regional legislators described a $14.5 million Malta siding project, a $6.5 million university grant released by federal authorities, and stressed that expanding passenger rail hinges on growing local rail workforce capacity and securing Corridor ID status.
Representative Baum, a member of an interim transportation committee, described recent federal and academic grants that support restoring passenger rail in Montana and expanding capacity.
“We applied for a federal grant… They identified congestion issues at a freight yard. That was a 14 and a half million dollar project,” Representative Baum said, summarizing the Malta siding project intended to add track and reduce bottlenecks. She also noted a $6.5 million grant to MSU Bozeman’s Western Transportation Institute that the feds recently released.
Speakers cautioned that infrastructure expansion requires a trained workforce. Baum said states can secure Corridor Identification (Corridor ID) status—a phased, three‑stage federal program that places projects ahead in the queue for future federal funding—but emphasized that receiving Corridor ID and subsequent grants is a multi‑phase process.
Senators and presenters noted freight and passenger needs are interdependent: additional sidings and scheduling reliability help freight flow and create capacity windows for passenger service, but trucks remain necessary for final‑mile deliveries.
The session concluded without formal votes; attendees urged follow‑up work to translate grant awards and Corridor ID planning into workforce training and project schedules to move projects into construction.
