Essex station (Montana)

Essex station is a stop on Amtrak's Empire Builder line in Essex, Montana. Essex has a year-round population of less than 50; most passengers are visitors to the nearby historic Izaak Walton Inn located about 310 mile (0.48 km) away.[6][7]

Essex, MT
Essex station platform in May 2017
General information
Location290 Izaak Walton Inn Road
Essex, Montana
United States
Coordinates48°16′31″N 113°36′37″W / 48.27525°N 113.61030°W / 48.27525; -113.61030
Owned byBNSF Railway/Izaak Walton Inn
Line(s)BNSF Hi Line Subdivision
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks2
Construction
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: ESM
History
OpenedJune 18, 1893 (Great Northern Railway)[1][2]
March 1985 (Amtrak; conditional stop)[3]
November 1985 (Amtrak; flag stop)[4]
Passengers
FY 20231,009[5] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
West Glacier
toward Seattle or Portland
Empire Builder East Glacier Park
(April–October)
toward Chicago
Browning
(October–April)
toward Chicago
Location
Map

There currently is no station building at Essex, passengers are shuttled directly to the Inn.

Essex is a flag stop. That is, the stop is skipped in the event that there are no passengers listed in Amtrak’s digital reservation system to alight or board at the station.

Between 1970 and 1985 there were no regular stops at Essex.[4] In late 2010, Amtrak built a concrete platform with embedded heating coils for automatic snow clearance to replace the former asphalt platform, and also added additional lighting and fencing.

References

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  1. ^ Allen, W.F. (1893). Travelers Official Guide of the Railway and Steam Navigation Lines in the United States and Canada. New York, New York: National Railway Publication Company. p. 500. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  2. ^ "The Railroads". The Detroit Free Press. June 18, 1893. p. 19. Retrieved November 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.  
  3. ^ "Historic Inn to Receive Rail Service". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. March 10, 1985. p. 35. Retrieved October 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.  
  4. ^ a b "Essex Inn Amtrak Flag Stop". The Independent-Record. Helena, Montana. November 12, 1985. p. 11. Retrieved October 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.  
  5. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of Montana" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  6. ^ "Amtrak - Great American Stations". Amtrak. Retrieved 2009-04-23.
  7. ^ Grau, Kara; Bruns-Dubois, Melissa; Nickerson, Norma P. (December 2006). "The Economic Review of the Travel Industry in Montana" (PDF). Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-12-30. Retrieved 2007-02-01.
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