(The following story by Megan Lee appeared on the Star-Tribune website on July 13.)
CASPER, Wyo. — The lack of train service in Wyoming is not only unique, but also alarming to those who need or want alternative forms of transportation.
The National Association of Rail Passengers, a nonprofit advocacy group, lobbies for more and better train service across the country, including the Cowboy State.
“We want to see more trains to more places so more people can use them,” said David Johnson, assistant director of the association.
Johnson said the Wyoming/Idaho/Montana tri-state is the largest “gap” in train travel in the country, hurting both potential passengers and major train companies.
Q. Why is the availability of train travel in rural areas like Wyoming important?
A. It gives people a transportation and mobility choice. We’re staring down $4 or $5 gas, and this gives a more economically viable, and often more rapid, service. Service to smaller communities that don’t have air service or are quickly losing air service. A lot of places that used to have it don’t now, because of gas prices or low revenue potential to the airlines, and trains can alleviate that problem in rural areas. Also, trains are good for environment. They are the least polluting form of transportation out there. They produce the least carbon footprint, as well.
Q. How could Wyomingites gain access to train travel in the area?
A. Express your opinions to an elected official. The Wyoming officials have admittedly not been very good with advocating train travel, but if enough people push… As for actually getting a route, full and proper funding of Amtrak will allow for that. We would push for service across southern Wyoming and even some in northern or eastern Wyoming as well.
Q. What obstacles could the people of Wyoming face in getting such train travel here?
A. It requires funding. Prospects are brightening with the gas prices being high as they are. I think the public just wants an alternative. In Wyoming, probably 95 percent of travel — at least intrastate travel — is done by automobile, and people want another option. If you had a good train network, you could provide that.
Q. We used to have train service here — the Amtrak “Pioneer.” Why don’t we have that anymore?
A. The issue at that point (in 1997) was Amtrak budget cuts. and that train route was targeted. We, of course, at that time disagreed with it and we still disagree with it. We argue that it was not given a fair shake in terms of what it could have done and what it could have been. The primary concern was that it did travel over a lot of low-density areas and that really the only major cities it went through from Denver to Seattle, the only major cities were Cheyenne and Boise. The argument was that ridership was low, but we argue that the economics were never presented in the proper way. Now we have a big hole in the network of train service. It definitely hurt Amtrak in the long run more than it helped.
Q. Is the Wyoming/Montana area the only area without train service?
A. There is service in northern Montana, but southern Montana, down through Wyoming and Idaho and southern Nebraska is probably the biggest hole or gap in the train service. We think those places certainly would respond well to service if it was offered.