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Empire Builder moved to a more southerly route?

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The tracks from Glendive up to Williston are still in place, but are now owned by a private raiload, not BNSF.  Not to mention, most of the rail was, at least the last time I saw it, 80, 85, 90, and 100 # jointed rail with a 25mph speed limit on it.First and foremost, the Empire Builder will not come off the Hi-Line.  Won't happen.  However, the Builder would most likely not be affected by a train on the ex-NP.  And has anyone considered the overnight possibilities for Billings to the Twin Cities as well as Billings to Spokane?  Here's a suggestion that could work for a train on the southern route that would have connections with the Builder at Spokane.  Let's call this train The North Coast Limited, reviving the old NP name.  This train would depart Chicago some three hours ahead of the Empire Builder, not on the CP, but BNSF toward Savanna, IL.  It would follow the river up to La Crosse, WI stopping at Dubuque, IL and Praire du Chien, WI.  At La Crosse, it would switch to the CP for the run to St Paul.  This would pick up Winona and Red Wing (both Builder stops but at an earlier time).  The train would continue to follow the Builder route (on BNSF) until Fargo where it would set out across ND toward Bismarck.  The Empire Builder is some three hours behind the NCL making its run from Minneapolis to Fargo.  When the NCL crosses into Montana and stops at Glendive, the Builder is in Minot.  When the NCL reaches Billings (now on MRL), the Builder is in Malta, MT (east of Havre).  The NCL reaches Missoula, the Builder will be desending the west side Marias Pass. And when the NCL reaches Sandpoint Jct., the Builder will be about 20 to 30 minutes behind it at Bonners Ferry, ID.  The two trains would swap Seattle and Portland bound cars at Spokane, with the NCL continuing on to Portland via the old SP&S and the Builder to Seattle via Stevens Pass, not Stampede.Stampede Pass has no signal system on it and is all Track Warrant Control, not an ideal place for a passenger train (59 mph restriction).  MRL has FRA class 4 track, good for 79 mph passenger trains.  The limiting factor is indeed the curves, but for speed, not clearance (If a Superliner will go around a 14 and one half degree curve coming into the station at Milwaukee, it'll go around curves on MRL).  And the grade crossing activators will have to be moved to account for the 79 mph speed limit (FRA requires at least 20 seconds warning at a crossing where protective signals are used).  And east of Billings sees maybe 20 to 25 trains a day, no more than MRL sees daily.There are two big obstacles facing a potential NCL/Hiawatha  1)Funding from Congress and the participating states, 2) Equipment.  No Superliners are available to make the train work (the NCL would have the same consist makeup as the Empire Builder, which requires 11 Superliners). But without funding, which if MT senate said no, then we'll wait till next year, this whole point would be dead.
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