(The following story by Ryan Johnson appeared on the Grand Forks Herald website on April 1, 2009.)
GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Amtrak will resume service in Grand Forks this evening, and the route to Fargo also will reopen.
Amtrak service to and from Grand Forks, Devils Lake and Rugby, N.D., was suspended March 24 because of flooding in the state.
Gus Melonas, spokesman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, said most of the other major train routes in North Dakota remain open.
BNSF routes heading east from East Grand Forks will continue to be suspended because of high water levels. The railway’s tracks passing through Noyes, Minn., into Manitoba also still is suspended.
But Melonas said the company is rerouting traffic to still provide service to most of the affected areas. “We are operating via alternative routes and are able to continue with customer service,” he said.
He added that officials are constantly evaluating conditions and monitoring tracks to ensure safety as routes are reopened.