Minnesota's Railroads
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Information about MINNESOTA’S RAILROADS 2011-2012 http.www.minnesotarailroads.com MINNESOTA’S RAILROADS AT A GLANCE Number of railroads 19 Total mileage (8th in the nation) 4,393 Total carloads carried 2,994,400 Total tons of freight carried 203,150,000 Employees (13th in the nation) 4,222 Total wages paid $305,400,000 Average wages per employee, and fringe benefits $99,480 Railroad retirees 15,149 Payments to retirees $270.3 million Property taxes (paid in 2010) $28,900,000 Percent of Top commodities originated in state Carloads State’s total Iron ore/taconite 413,600 49% Farm products 152,700 23% Food products 86,900 11% Stone, sand, gravel 36,600 5% Chemicals 21,500 3% All other 181,900 10% TOTAL (6th in the nation) 893,300 Top commodities terminated in state Iron ore/taconite 365,800 46% Coal 142,300 28% Farm products 41,400 7% Chemicals 30,100 5% Stone, sand, gravel 19,600 2% All other 200,800 13% TOTAL (11th in the nation) 800,100 Source: Association of American Railroads for the year 2009 Cover photo: A Minnesota Northern freight train near the Wilds industrial yard in southwest Crookston, Minn. Photo taken December 29, 2009 by Carl Becker. 2 INTRODUCTION Minnesota’s Railroads — Contributing to the Economic Vitality of the State ailroads have been a part of the Minnesota Mesabi Iron Range to Lake Superior ports and inland landscape since the first train operated steel mills, enabling Minnesota’s mining industry to R between St. Paul and St. Anthony (now Min- remain competitive in world markets. neapolis) in 1862. Railroads helped build the state, reaching west from the Mississippi and St. Croix riv- Each year, Minnesota’s railroads move thousands ers, where goods were offloaded onto rail cars for of containers of freight that otherwise would move by settlers to move west and north. For nearly 150 years, truck. By keeping this freight on the rails rather than railroads have contributed to the economic well the road, there is less pollution and highway damage being of the state by providing vital transportation — saving Minnesota taxpayers millions of dollars services to its citizens and industries, while paying in highway maintenance costs. Railroads are also millions of dollars to the state in taxes. fuel-efficient, which helps to conserve energy and reduce pollution. According to the U.S. Department Railroads provide important commercial links of Energy, railroads are four times more fuel efficient for Minnesota farmers, the taconite industry, man- than trucks and roughly equal to waterborne freight. ufacturers, and other businesses. Since railroads Emissions from railroad locomotives are 75 percent are able to move goods at very competitive rates, less than trucks, according to the U.S. Environmental they are able to hold down costs for shippers, which Protection Agency. helps promote stability and economic growth in greater Minnesota. For example, the cost of shipping Minnesota’s railroads are rarely in the spotlight, agricultural products by rail is much less than the but go about their business quietly and efficiently. cost of shipping by truck, which helps farmers earn This CD provides background information about higher profits and lowers the costs of products for the railroad companies that operate in the state. consumers. Included are maps, a list of major commodities they carry, railroads’ economic contribution to the state Minnesota railroads provide a vital pathway for and communities they serve, and a list of key per- the movement of taconite pellets from plants on the sonnel at each company. DID YOU KNOW … ● Minnesota railroads rank first in the nation in the number of tons of iron ore originated, third in origination of food products and fourth in the origination of farm products. ● A railroad car typically handles three times more freight than the average large truck. ● Railroads are roughly four times more fuel efficient than trucks and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent. ● According to the Federal Railroad Administration, railroads have increased fuel efficiency 104 percent since 1980—doubling their freight volume using the same amount of fuel. 3 INDEX SUBJECT PAGE Amtrak 27 Minnesota Northern Railroad Company 17 American Short Line and Regional Railroad Assn. 4 Minnesota Prairie Line Inc. 18 Association of American Railroads 4 Minnesota Regional Railroads Association 4 BNSF Railway (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) 6 Minnesota Southern Railway 19 CN (Canadian National) 8 North Shore Scenic Railroad 27 Canadian Pacific Railway 10 Northern Lines Railway 20 Carloadings 2 Northern Plains Railroad, Inc. 21 Class I, II and III railroads 5 Otter Tail Valley Railroad 22 Cloquet Terminal Railroad Company Inc. 14 Progressive Rail Incorporated 23 Commodities handled (total for state) 2 Property taxes 2 Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (CP) 10 Red River Valley & Western Railroad 24 Employees 2 Retirees 2 Federal Railroad Administration 4 Soo Line Railroad (CP) 10 Iowa, Chicago & Eastern (CP) 10 St. Croix Valley Railroad 25 Introduction 3 Twin Cities & Western Railroad 26 Mileage (by carrier) 5 Twin Cities railroad map 28 Minnesota Commercial Railway 15 Union Pacific Railroad 12 Minnesota, Dakota & Western Railway 16 Wages paid (total for state) 2 Minnesota DOT - Office of Frt., RRs & Waterways 4 Websites 4 WEBSITES OF MINNESOTA RAILROADS RAILROADS: Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corp.): Otter Tail Valley Railroad http://www.amtrak.com http://www.railamerica.com BNSF Railway: Progressive Rail: http://www.bnsf.com http://www.progressiverail.com CN: Red River Valley & Western Railroad Company: http://www.cn.ca http://www.rrvw.net Canadian Pacific Railway: Twin Cities & Western Railroad Company: http://www.cpr.ca http://www.tcwr.net Minnesota Commercial: Union Pacific Railroad: http://www.mnnr.net http://www.uprr.com Minnesota Prairie Line: http://www.tcwr.net/mpl RAILROAD ORGANIZATIONS/ASSOCIATIONS: American Short Line and Regional RRs Assn: Northern Lines Railway: http://www.aslrra.org http://www.anacostia.com/nlr/nlr.html Association of American Railroads: Northern Plains Railroad: http://www.aar.org http://www.nprail.com Federal Railroad Administration: North Shore Scenic Railroad: http://www.fra.dot.gov http://www.northshorescenicrailroad.org MN DOT, Off. of Freight, Railroads & Waterways: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/aboutrail MN Regional Railroads Association: http://www.minnesotarailroads.com 4 MINNESOTA RAILROADS AND MILEAGE In 2011, there are 19 railroad companies oper- While some of these smaller lines have existed inde- ating in Minnesota on 4,393 route miles of track. A pendently for years, most were created in the 1980s total of 3,666 miles, or 83 percent of the mileage, is following passage of the Staggers Act, which helped owned by the state’s Class I railroads. restore railroads to profitability by freeing them from overregulation. Railroads are divided into three “classes” by the Surface Transportation Board (STB), which replaced All carrier-owned railroad track in Minnesota the Interstate Commerce Commission as the federal must comply with safety standards set forth by the economic regulator of railroads. Based on 2010 sta- Federal Railroad Administration and is subject to tistics, Class I railroads are those that had annual periodic inspections. About two-thirds of the track operating revenue of $378.8 million or more. in the state is FRA Class 3 or 4, permitting freight trains to operate at speeds up to 40 and 60 mph, re- Class II railroads have annual operating revenue spectively. All railroad equipment must also comply between $30.3 million and $378.8 million. In addition, with federal safety standards, including regular main- Minnesota has 14 Class III railroads, which have an- tenance. In addition, railroad operating personnel nual operating revenue of less than $30.3 million. must be familiar with FRA rules and regulations and “Regional railroads” are line-haul carriers operating successfully complete training on safety and oper- at least 350 miles of road and/or earning revenue ex- ating rules. Locomotive engineers must be certified ceeding $40 million, but less than a Class I. Regional by the FRA in order to operate a locomotive and go and short-line railroads generally are lighter-density through recertification every three years. lines that have been spun off by a Class I carrier. Minnesota’s Railroads Railroad Mileage owned in Minnesota Class I BNSF Railway (BNSF) 1,584 Minnesota Southern Railroad Co. (MSWY) 42 Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) 1,222 St. Croix Valley Railroad (SCXY) 36 CN (Canadian National Railway) 425 Minnesota Commercial Railway Co. (MNNR) 35 Union Pacific Railroad (UP) 435 North Shore Scenic Railroad (NSSR) 25 National Railroad Passenger Corp. (Amtrak) 0 (St. Louis & Lake Counties Regional Rail Authority between Duluth and Two Harbors) Class II Northern Lines Railway, LLC (NLR) 23 Cloquet Terminal Railroad Co. (CTRR) 4 Minnesota, Dakota & Western Ry. Co. (MDW) 4 Class III Red River Valley & Western Railroad (RRVW) 2 Twin Cities & Western Railroad Co. (TCWR) 146 Minnesota Northern Railroad (MNN) 120 Minnesota Prairie Line Inc. (MPLI) 94 Progressive Rail Inc. (PGR) 80 Otter Tail Valley Railroad (OTVR) 71 Northern Plains Railroad (NPR) 45 5 SM BNSF in Minnesota BNSF Trackage rights RAILWAY To Winnipeg MANITOBA Noyes International Falls ONTARIO Warren Grand Forks East Grand Forks Crookston To Minot Bemidji Hibbing Virginia Grand Rapids To Minot FARGO Dilworth DULUTH Detroit Lakes To Mandan Moorhead Cloquet SUPERIOR Staples Breckenridge Brainerd Camp Ripley N. DAKOTA Little Falls Browns Valley Morris ST. CLOUD Cambridge Ortonville Benson To Aberdeen Monticello WISCONSIN Litchfield Delano Madison Willmar ST. PAUL To Watertown Granite Falls MINNEAPOLIS Hanley Falls Marshall Mankato Pipestone Winona ROCHESTER La Crosse To Sioux City IOWA S. DAKOTA To Chicago 6 BNSF RAILWAY BNSF Railway Website: http://www.bnsf.com 2650 Lou Menk Drive, 2nd Floor P.O. Box 96105, Fort Worth, TX 76161-0057 Contacts: Brian J. Sweeney, State Government Affairs Phone: (651) 298-2458 325 Cedar St., Ste.