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The North Coast Hiawatha route could bypass Helena without the county's support.
Two of Amtrak's new ALC-42 locomotives lead the Empire Builder near Whitefish on Feb. 13, 2022. Credit: Justin Franz / MTFP
A passenger railroad project connecting Seattle to Chicago could potentially bypass Helena without the support of Lewis and Clark County, according to county and railroad project officials.
The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, along with the Federal Railroad Administration, is leading the project to restore the North Coast Hiawatha route and has garnered the support of route-affected counties across southern Montana. Lewis and Clark County is not one of them, despite giving $10,000 to the effort in both 2021 and 2022.
Although the rail authority lists Helena as a preferred stop for the projec...
