Stimulus money goes to depot upgrades

Railroad depots in West Glacier, Whitefish and Shelby will see improvements to their loading platforms this year, as $638,801 in federal stimulus money has been directed toward the projects.

Following passage of the 1990 Americans With Disability Act, Amtrak had estimated the cost of meeting the federal requirements at 482 stations across the country at $1.56 billion, with a completion date of September 2015.

The estimate assumed funding would be made available at the beginning of the 2010 fiscal year. Amtrak's Mobility First Program is an "immediate action program" that focuses on reducing physical barriers for passengers using wheelchairs at 150 intercity depots around the U.S.

The Whitefish depot is Amtrak's busiest in Montana, with 66,813 riders in fiscal year 2010 and $7.69 million in ticket revenue. The depot sees two Empire Builder trains a day, weather permitting.

A total of $358,809 in federal stimulus money will go toward raising the depot's 550-foot long loading platform by eight inches. The platform will be heated in winter to reduce snow and ice build-up, and new wheelchair ramps will be built. Construction crews recently began work on the three-month project.

A total of $129,717 in stimulus money will be used at the West Glacier depot, which is not manned by Amtrak personnel and posted 7,895 riders in the 2010 fiscal year. Work will include a new wheelchair lift and sidewalk accessing the lift, along with changes to the parking lot.

The Shelby depot will also get a wheelchair lift, using $150,275 in stimulus funding. The depot's ridership in fiscal year 2010 was 16,534.