On the News Wire, Amtrak says they are committed to the present route on the Devils Lake Sub through Grand Forks, ND. Isn't the real question whether BNSF deems the line worth saving?
Apparently abnormally high rainfall in recent years has raised water levels near Church's Ferry, ND threatening to inundate the tracks.
This has nothing to do with the North Coast Hiawatha proposal. The billion-dollar capital cost makes any thought of this alternative for the Builder unrealistic.
I think BNSF would love to sell the "Devil's Lake Sub" (Surrey Sub), Minot-Devil's Lake and the Grand Forks Sub, Devil's Lake to Grand Forks, to Amtrak. Fasten your seatbelts, especially in a sleeping car, while traversing it. It is all jointed rail! BNSF doesn't send much traffic through to Duluth and the "powers-that-be" (read: Gummint) continue to fiddle with the water levels along the route. It, truly, is amazing country for ducks!!! Yum!!! Maybe "Ducks Unlimited" would buy it and run shooting trains! They got the dough! Canard l'Orange would be a neat Amtrak entree, if the dining car was open Minneapolis/St. Paul-Minot. Maybe on the "Second (Daylight) Section"! Har!!!
Hays
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