South Dakota is a part of the growing conversation for passenger rail expansion across the country. A group of advocates recently started a push to bring Amtrak to the Mount Rushmore state. An ongoing study from the Federal Railroad Administration will be looking at a number of factors when considering new routes, including the funding and economic benefits. The talks have picked up steam with the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021, allocating around 66-billion dollars for passenger and freight rail projects. While there are plenty of possibilities for economic benefits, researchers say getting the rail line in particular settled, whether that be using existing lines or building new ones, will be a big challenge.
