Copyright 2000 The Denver Post Corporation
The
Denver Post
November 18, 2000 Saturday 2D EDITION
SECTION: DENVER & THE WEST; Pg. B-04
LENGTH: 475 words
HEADLINE:
Denver-Spokane rail line backed Train would carry passengers,
freight
BYLINE: By Kit Miniclier, Denver Post
Staff Writer,
BODY:
The idea of establishing
passenger train service between Denver and Spokane, Wash., received
enthusiastic support Friday, on the eve of a meeting of proponents
and others in Billings, Mont.
'It is almost impossible to make passenger
trains pay for themselves' in the sparsely settled West, but Amtrak's
increasing focus on hauling freight behind its trains could make the
line work, said Steve Anderson of the Washington State Department
of Transportation.
Amtrak's Pioneer passenger train, Denver's
last rail link with the Pacific Northwest, stopped running between
Denver and Portland, Ore., in May 1997. Since then, however, the
federally subsidized passenger line has been earning extra revenue
across the country by adding freight cars to many of its trains.
Because Amtrak trains are given priority over freight trains, their
express freight service appeals to businesses such as apple growers.
Shipping apples
'The key is 'Apples on Amtrak,' or the
Washington Fruit Express,' which would speed the state's millions of
apples and other perishable produce east via Amtrak, Anderson said.
'The best way to get to markets in the Southeast is
through Denver,' he said, noting that Amtrak is developing a large
hub in Fort Worth, Texas.
'That would be wonderful,' said Jon
Esty of the Colorado Rail Passenger Association. The entire route
would be over existing rail lines.
'There is a definite need'
to have the proposed route, because the population along it has risen
dramatically, air travel in the area is sparse and unpredictable,
tourism is extremely high and there are many retired people along the
route who don't like to drive or fly, said Cheryl Heath.
20
million visitors
Heath, of the University of Montana's Center for
Applied Economic Research, said more than 20 million people annually
visit the area, and the line would open a new avenue of travel.
Today's meeting was organized by Jim Green of
Billings, president of the recently organized Montana-Wyoming
Association of Railroad Passengers.
'Amtrak thinks we are on
the right track,' said Green, adding that it is expected to release a
new feasibility study on the route next month.
The idea,
launched by Green, has caused a tremendous groundswell of enthusiasm
with counties and cities expressing support and more than 3,000
people signing petitions, he said.
Randall Popelka, an aide to Sen.
Conrad Burns, R-Mont., cautioned that Amtrak probably won't be able
to do anything about a route across southern Montana before 2002,
because it doesn't have any spare cash.
A new Montana State
Rail Plan Update predicts the train would operate at a substantial
deficit. However, the survey did not consider possible revenue from
freight.
GRAPHIC: The Denver Post/Peter Pauley
Proposed passenger rail (map)
LOAD-DATE: November 20,
2000 
