Have you seen the BNSF passenger train around Montana?
A BNSF special train is passing through Montana this week, and instead of transporting coal, oil, dry goods, steel and other raw materials, this special train is transporting people.
Every few years, BNSF plugs in about a dozen vintage passenger cars and visits cities across the country as part of its employee appreciation campaign. BN employees can take family and friends on these 3-4 hour trips.
From Thursday through Saturday this week, the train was based in Laurel. My wife’s best friend’s husband has worked as an engineer for Montana Rail Link (now BNSF) for years. When my wife told me a few weeks ago that we had been invited to go on the train, I was THRILLED. Thank you JOSÉ for the invitation!
A bucket list activity.
I have traveled on many city trams, but never on a real train. I think I was probably more excited than my kids. We arrived at the train yard in Laurel a few minutes early for the scheduled 1:00 pm departure. We didn’t know for sure what our destination was until after boarding; It was Point Reed.
My son becomes friends with the BNSF team members. Credit Michael Foth, TSM
My son becomes friends with the BNSF team members. Credit Michael Foth, TSM
Fun commemorative items for passengers.
The BNSF team members were very welcoming and invited us to explore all the passenger cars open to the public (some were reserved for crew members and supplies). Guests received a deck of cards, a stylish build-your-own cardboard cutout train locomotive, stickers, a “ticket” and other exclusive BNSF-branded items.
Credit Michael Foth, TSM
Credit Michael Foth, TSM
A quiet and comfortable way to travel.
Maybe because I watched too many movies I thought that traveling by train would be much noisier. I was hoping to hear and feel the click of the tracks. Instead, it was smoother and quieter than riding in a car at 60 miles per hour.
Credit Michael Foth, TSM
Credit Michael Foth, TSM
Exploring the different train cars.
We loved navigating the narrow hallways, with steps going up and down the length of the train. Some carriages were double-decker, there were lounge-type carriages, carriages with a panoramic roof and others.
Credit Michael Foth, TSM
Credit Michael Foth, TSM
We sat in a car that was set up like two rows of restaurant tables, with benches facing each other and a table in the middle. The vintage cars showcase several decades of train travel design, from the 1950s to the late 1980s. They are lovingly maintained and stored in a special facility in Kansas when they are not rumbling across the country.
Passing over the Reed Point Bridge. Credit Michael Foth, TSM
Passing over the Reed Point Bridge. Credit Michael Foth, TSM
See Montana from a slightly different perspective.
When my family travels, it is usually by car and I usually drive. Keeping my eyes on the road limits how much I can take in the scenery while traveling, and multitasking while traveling on the interstate is not an option. Traveling by train was refreshing and completely relaxing.
The Yellowstone River, flowing high in mid-June. Credit Michael Foth, TSM
The Yellowstone River rises in mid-June. Credit Michael Foth, TSM
Will they ever bring back the “Southern Line” through Montana?
Discussion continues about reviving passenger rail service through Montana’s lower corridor. Fans long for the days when they hopped on a train in Billings, Bozeman or Helena and headed toward Chicago or Seattle.
The Big Sky Passenger Rail Service Authority is leading the effort to restore this “Southern Line.” Progress has been made. In May 2024, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg pledged support for the project and most community leaders along the potentially revitalized passenger rail line are in favor of the project.
The cost of the project will surely run into the billions. After my experience, I would LOVE to see passenger trains running through southern Montana again. See more photos in the gallery below.
Traveling by train along the southern route of Montana
We hopped on the BNSF Employee Appreciation passenger train as it rolled through southern Montana in 2024.
Gallery credit: Michael Foth
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