Sad to see this former GN rail line abandoned

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I wonder why someone would be talking about reopening the line? The only business along the line was a grain elevator near the Great Falls end, and they had already removed the rails serving that business. There was talk of passenger business, but it is just as scenic along the ex-NP route, and that tour train has been out of business a couple of decades.

I remember Warren McGee (former NP employee and well-known railroad photographer) saying he never understood why BN chose the old GN line instead of the NP, since NP had many more online industries to serve.

If not a railroad hopefully it will be used as an off-road trail. We need more of them.

I’m guessing BN chose the GN mainline over NP because it had easier grades and GN’s one summit over the Rockies, vs NP had to cross two summits in the Rockies.

Yes GN had the lowest crossing of the Rockies. Their line followed a river - which often flooded in spring, causing them to detour on the NP. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

Good thing they keep their opinions open on the NP.

It would be cool to have [part of] the line made into rail biking…
it would also probably bring in tourist money.