The notion that Northeast Oregon residents are more isolated, and less mobile, than they were for much of the 20th century might seem far-fetched.

But in one sense — passenger trains — it’s not.

Although Union Pacific freight trains continue to roll through the region every day, we’ve been without passenger trains, through Amtrak, for more than a quarter-century.

Amtrak ended its Pioneer route, from Seattle to Denver, in 1997. The Pioneer, which offered daily trains starting in 1977, dropped to three times per week in 1993 and then went away altogether four years later.

When the Pioneer was running, passengers could embark at several stations, including Pendleton, La Grande and Baker City. Although the Pioneer ended at Seattle and Denver, from those hubs people could connect with other long-distance routes to destinations around the country, including Los Angeles, Chicago and the East Coast.

Since the Pioneer’s demise, passenger train proponents have lobbied Congress to allocate money that could restore the route.

Some lawmakers, including Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, have endorsed the idea.

The campaign’s biggest boost, though, was the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill. The legislation includes $66 billion for Amtrak’s repair backlog, and train supporters hope that money, although it’s allocated for improving the existing rail network, could result in adding new routes or reviving old ones, such as the Pioneer.

Matt Krabacher, a Baker City resident and passenger train advocate, said the Association of Oregon Rail and Transit Advocates collected 1,090 signatures from Baker County residents, and 353 from Union County, all supporting the concept.

The Federal Railroad Administration has been studying since 2022 the potential for both long-distance Amtrak routes (longer than 750 miles) and “intracity” trains that travel shorter distances. A version of the former Pioneer, which would run through Hermiston, Pendleton, La Grande and Baker City, and continue to Boise and Salt Lake City, is among the options the FRA is considering. The agency is slated to send a report to Congress later this year.

In 2019 the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Rail & Public Transit Division released a report looking at cities where Amtrak stations could be operated if passenger trains returned. The report listed Stanfield/Hermiston, Pendleton, La Grande, Baker City and Ontario among the station sites.

Amtrak relies on government subsidies, of course, but so do other forms of transportation. Tax dollars, after all, pay to build and maintain highways and to run the air traffic control system.

Reviving the Pioneer would give local residents another travel option — and one that might be especially attractive when, for instance, winter storms or vehicle crashes have again closed Interstate 84. The return of Amtrak could also be a boost for the tourism industry in Northeastern Oregon, where commercial air service is limited.

Robust advocacy among local residents can only help with the campaign to bring Amtrak’s shiny metal cars back to our region.

To get involved, two good options are the Association of Oregon Rail and Transit Advocates (www.aortarail.org) and All Aboard Northwest (allaboardnw.org).