Though a new Amtrak station may not be the full answer to Chemult’s economic woes, it’s surely good news for the community and even better news for those who hope to take the train in and out of Central Oregon.

Chemult, some 70 miles south of Bend on U.S. Highway 97, is Central Oregon’s only link to rail passenger service. Amtrak’s Coast Starlight, which travels daily between Seattle and Los Angeles, stops in Chemult to drop off and pick up passengers. There’s no real train station in Chemult, however, forcing those who must wait to do so in their cars or outdoors.

That may change soon. Chemult made the first cut as the state draws up its latest list of ConnectOregon grant recipients. It has requested $125,000 of the lottery funds thus dispensed to build a new log-cabin station that would include a tourism kiosk and bathrooms, amenities now lacking at the Chemult stop.

Though being able to get out of the weather may not bring tourists flocking to Chemult, it cannot hurt. For one thing, Amtrak’s on-time record leaves much to be desired – only about half of all long-distance trains are on time – and the stop’s slight decline in popularity might well be because would-be riders do not relish spending several hours at a rail stop with no place to rest. The community, meanwhile, hopes a station will make the area more attractive to mountain bikers and other outdoor recreationists who would, presumably, patronize local merchants while there.

The Oregon Transportation Commission is expected to vote on a final list of ConnectOregon grant recipients in July, and Chemult is hoping to make the list. It likely will do so if there’s no serious opposition to its plan at a public hearing in Boardman on June 29. The commission will take comments on the plan until then. Though a train station won’t likely mean a sudden influx of tourists to Chemult, it will make life more pleasant for those who do show up, and that in turn may persuade them to come back.