KFYR: Sen. Tester highlights importance of railway service to Montana during Amtrak Board of Directors hearing

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KFYR) – Last week, Montana Senator Jon Tester brought up concerns over nominees for the Amtrak Board of Directors.

During a Senate Commerce Committee meeting, Tester said he was frustrated that none of the five nominees were from the western United States. He added that the “Empire Builder” line that travels through Montana and North Dakota is important, and that they need to understand the benefit.

“There are people every single day that want to shut down the rail service in this country. If we are going to have good rail service, especially in the west where distances are long between houses, we’ve got to have folks that are willing to stand up and fight from a position of knowledge,” said Tester.

Four of the nominees are from the East Coast, while one is from the Midwest region.

Tester says they need to work on expanding passenger rail service, focusing on making it more convenient compared to countries.

Sen. Tester highlights importance of railway service to Montana during Amtrak Board of Directors hearing (kfyrtv.com)