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Amtrak Line Set To Reopen After Flooding

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Many flood-related passenger train disruptions are expected to end once Amtrak reopens a 1,000-mile stretch of its most popular cross-country line.

The Empire Builder route is scheduled to reopen Sunday between St. Paul, Minn., and Havre, Mont. It was one of several Amtrak lines interrupted by Midwest flooding.

Amtrak General Superintendent Daryl Pesce said flooding along the route created the worst disruptions anyone within Amtrak could recall in the line's 82-year history.

The Empire Builder runs from Chicago to Washington state, before it forks into Seattle and Portland. Businesses that rely on the federally owned train line welcomed the news, even though service breaks have dug into the busy June tourism season.

Other lines in the Midwest remained closed, however, and continue to create delays and additional expenses.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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