History
Amtrak's initial network did not include the Northern Pacific main line; the Empire Builder carried all Chicago—Pacific Northwest over the tracks of the former Great Northern Railway. On June 5, 1971, Amtrak started running a section of the Empire Builder over the NP's tracks between Minneapolis and Spokane, Washington, returning service to southern North Dakota and Montana. Amtrak reacted in part to pressure from Mike Mansfield (D-Montana), then Senate Majority Leader, who noted that the Empire Builder bypassed Montana's major population centers. This intervention earned the train the nickname “Mike Mansfield Limited”. In addition, the Northern Pacific route, which included the Yellowstone River, Homestake Pass and Bitterroot Mountains was praised for its scenery. Amtrak considered it one of its six most beautiful routes. The North Coast Hiawatha also provided a convenient connection to Yellowstone National Park at Livingston, Montana.
On November 11, 1971, Amtrak formally named this service the North Coast Hiawatha, with a tri-weekly schedule between Chicago and Spokane independent of the Empire Builder. In Spokane it combined with the Empire Builder for the trip to Seattle. On the other four days of the week the train terminated in Minneapolis.
This joint operation ended on April 29, 1973, when Amtrak extended the North Coast Hiawatha to Seattle over the Great Northern's route, which included the Stevens Pass and Cascade Tunnel. This new routing served the northern Washington communities of Wenatchee and Everett, which had previously been without service. The North Coast Hiawatha remained on a tri-weekly schedule west of Minneapolis.
The North Coast Hiawatha's schedule fluctuated over the next three years, operating on a daily schedule between Chicago and Seattle in the summers and reverting to tri-weekly west of Minneapolis the rest of the year. Amtrak would also run a daily service during the holiday season (as in 1975, when the North Coast Hiawatha operated daily December 12—January 12), but the North Coast Hiawatha never operated a daily schedule for a full calendar year. In early 1976 the North Coast Hiawatha was threatened with discontinuance, along with the Pacific International and the three daily Portland, Oregon—Seattle trains, after the Ford Administration proposed budget cuts. Several members of Congress protested the proposed cuts, including Representative Max Baucus (D-Montana), and Senators Warren Magnuson (D-Washington) and Bob Packwood (R-Oregon). In the end Congress approved a budget for Amtrak $62 million above the administration's request, saving all three services.
Amtrak announced in October 1976 that the North Coast Hiawatha would be the second train, after the Empire Builder, to receive the new bi-level Superliner coaches, then on order from Pullman Standard. In the end the North Coast Hiawatha was cancelled before the Superliners entered long-distance service. In the spring of 1977 Amtrak added seven hours to the North Coast Hiawatha's schedule, making it 52 hours 30 minutes. The change was prompted by new speed restrictions on Amtrak trains after a rash of derailments involving the new EMD SDP40F diesel locomotives. In September Amtrak eliminated the off-day Chicago—St. Paul service, leaving the North Coast Hiawatha with three trips a week. Amtrak reduced the Empire Builder to quad-weekly service as well.
In November Amtrak reduced the North Coast Hiawatha's running time to 46 hours 40 minutes, after the replacement of the SDP40Fs permitted an easing of speed restrictions. Even as this improved service began, the North Coast Hiawatha was threatened with cancellation. Facing a budget deficit of $60 million, Amtrak identified a half dozen routes which it considered "financially troubled." Amtrak proposed merging the North Coast Hiawatha and the Empire Builder, or even cancelling both. Throughout 1978 no decision was taken, and the North Coast Hiawatha and Empire Builder continued to provide between them daily service between Chicago and Seattle.
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