Letter to the Editor: Long-term storage of rail cars on unused BNSF tracks is wrong

Editor,

We live on U.S. Highway 87 and instead of beautiful Montana sunsets and “big sky,” we look at rusty train cars with New York and Chicago graffiti on them.

Tourism is a critical source of income for this state. Compliments of BNSF Railway, tourists are now “enjoying” roads lined with rusty rail cars.

Once tracks are not being used for their intended purpose, the land should be returned to its original condition, not be used to deface this state. BNSF is no longer providing shipping to growers near, for example Big Sandy. Now, to add insult to injury, the area is being used as a scrap metal dumping ground. This storing of ugly rail cars effectively sabotages any past or future efforts to beautify Montana by removing jun cars out of yards and along roads.

The attitude of various BNSF officials we have spoken with is that they couldn’t care less. Not even a five-car gap in front of homes is possible.

Certainly, BNSF is providing jobs, but Montanans are providing BNSF with valuable skills and labor. We should not accept deliberate defacement of our beautiful state and a diminished quality of life for Montanans. We must be proud of the value of this state and its people and demand an end to the storage of scrap metal along our highways.

James and Cathy Leahy

Havre