Amtrak service between St. Paul and Spokane to resume Tuesday

by Matt Sepic, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — Flooding in North Dakota and Montana continues to hamper passenger rail service from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest.

Amtrak said the Empire Builder line will remain shut down between St. Paul and Spokane until Tuesday.

Amtrak spokeswoman Christina Leeds said buses will carry passengers between stops in Washington and Oregon, but there's no service east of Spokane.

"Daily Empire Builder train service will be maintained between Chicago and St. Paul," Leeds said. "We have alternate transportation via chartered motorcoaches representing the trains between Spokane and both Portland and Seattle. There's no Amtrak service available for these days between Minnesota, except for St. Paul, North Dakota, Montana and Idaho."

Amtrak service was to have resumed Saturday. But high water near rail bridges in the Devil's Lake basin means the trains can't run until those bridges are determined to be safe.

Passengers are encouraged to call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com for schedule information and train status updates.