(The following story by Andrea Johnson appeared on the Minot Daily News website on March 25, 2009.)
MINOT, N.D. — Amtrak service to Grand Forks, Devils Lake, and Rugby has been derailed for at least the next two to three weeks due to flooding in the Red River Valley.
Beginning today, train passengers will have to travel to either Minot or Fargo to board the train, said Rugby station manager Duane Veach.
“A lot of times the flooding seems isolated if you’re not experiencing it,” said Veach, but now the flooding is having a direct impact on a community that hasn’t experienced significant flooding.
That includes Veach, who has been given the option of going to work at one of the open Amtrak stations or drawing unemployment while the Rugby station is closed.
Veach said about 18 people get on or off the train each day in Rugby. The station also handles freight, which will be rerouted by Burlington Northern to Fargo and Minot. About 6,600 people each year board or leave the train at Rugby’s Amtrak station.
Rugby mayor Dale Niewoehner said the town is used to its daily rail service.
“Every day there are people getting on and off,” he said. “They’ll need to drive to Minot. But probably it’s a better situation for us than it is for Grand Forks and Devils Lake (whose people will have farther to drive). But that’s how it is when we have weather problems.”
The reroute affects Empire Builder Trains 7 and 8 and the Surrey cutoff that goes through New Rockford. Due to flooding on highways and the travel times involved, no alternative transportation will be provided by Amtrak for Grand Forks, Devils Lake and Rugby.
The reroute is effective beginning with the eastbound Empire Builder No. 8 departing Minot on Tuesday and the No. 7 westbound Empire Builder departing Fargo today. For departure and arrival times, call 1-800-872-7245.
Niewoehner said the town of Rugby has had minimal flooding compared with towns elsewhere in the state. A few houses in low-lying areas are experiencing problems. The city is giving out free sandbags to those who request them.