North Coast Hiawatha

Overview

Amtrak’s long distance Empire Builder travels through northern Montana on its route from Seattle/Portland to Chicago. The Big Sky Rail Authority in Montana is leading a study of a second daily train on a route through southern Montana that would serve Missoula, Bozeman, Butte/Helena, Billings plus smaller communities.

Outside of Montana, a new train would likely operate on the same route as the Empire Builder over tracks owned by Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) freight railroad. The proposed service would be called the North Coast Hiawatha. The corridor is currently funded for evaluation in the federal Corridor ID program.

Air and bus service along the route has been in decline and highways today are the only real transportation alternative in this large geographic area. New passenger rail would be a convenient and attractive option for the region. AAMN strongly believes this route is worth evaluating and reinstating.

History

In 2009, Amtrak evaluated a second Chicago-Seattle/Portland train along this route. The study determined the route would be as successful as the Empire Builder.

The Northern Pacific Railway’s “North Coast Limited” - beginning in 1900 - and “Mainstreeter” - beginning in the 1950s - followed this southern route west of Fargo. Unlike the modern Amtrak route proposal, these trains also passed through western Wisconsin and central and western Illinois, hugging the east bank of the Mississippi River south of La Crosse until Savanna, IL.

In 1971, when Amtrak began operations, the route was shifted to match the Empire Builder’s more northern route east of Fargo, and renamed the “North Coast Hiawatha.” This name comes from the “North Coast Limited” and the Milwaukee Road’s “Olympian Hiawatha.” This service ended in 1979 due to federal cuts to Amtrak.

Recent Steps, Corridor I.D., and the Big Sky Rail Authority

The Big Sky Rail Authority, started in 2020, formed a commission of counties in Montana to re-establish the North Coast Limited/Hiawatha. In 2024, it received a one-time, $500,000 federal grant from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor I.D. Program to study the route. As of July 2026, the project is in Step 1 (of several) in the FRA’s Corridor I.D. Program.

Resources