Spokane Subdivision
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The Spokane Subdivision or Spokane Sub is a railway line running about 80.0 miles (128.7 km) from Sandpoint, ID to Lakeside Junction near Spokane, WA. It is operated by BNSF Railway as part of the Northern Transcon.
The line has shared track rights with Amtrak, Union Pacific Railway and Montana Rail Link.
The Amtrak Empire Builder uses the entirety of the line and stops in Spokane and Sandpoint.
Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Railway uses the mainline of the Spokane Subdivision between Napa Street Junction to UP Junction.
At Napa Street, the mainline continues North to British Columbia on the former Spokane International. At UP Junction, the mainline continues South to Hinkle
This trackage rights arrangement has been in place since 1973.
Amtrak
Spokane plays an important role in the routes associated with the Empire Builder. The train splits or joins together at the Spokane Amtrak Depot. The route going east to Chicago starts in Seattle and operates under route No. 8. The route No. 28, starts in Portland and also goes east. In Spokane, the two routes converge and the two separate trains are linked together. They proceed eastward as one train under the unified route No. 8. The route heading westward from Chicago, No. 7, is split into two trains Spokane. The No. 7 continues to Seattle, while the other half continues to Portland under the route No. 27.[1]
MRL
The Montana Rail Link enters of the Spokane Subdivision at Sandpoint Junction in Idaho and uses the mainline to Spokane.
References
- ^ "Empire Builder Timetable" (PDF). April 28, 2013.