Northern Lines Railway

Northern Lines Railway (reporting mark NLR) is a shortline railroad operating 17 miles (27 km) of track in and near St. Cloud in central Minnesota. The railroad was formed in 2004 to operate Burlington Northern Santa Fe trackage in the St. Cloud area. Interchange is made with BNSF in east St. Cloud.

The railroad operated three connected lines. The St. Joseph branch extends from the connection with BNSF in east St. Cloud westward, crosses the Mississippi River on the 1892 St. Cloud Rail Bridge and continues on to St. Joseph, approximately 7 miles (11 km). Until the rail was removed in 2018, the East St. Cloud branch extended from the connection with BNSF in east St. Cloud, crossed U.S. Route 10, and terminated at the former Quebecor World printing plant in east St. Cloud, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km).

Until 2012 the Cold Spring/Rockville branch extended southwestward from its connection with the St. Joseph branch line in west St. Cloud, passed through Waite Park and Rockville and terminated just west of Cold Spring, approximately 16 miles (26 km). However, in 2011 Northern Lines applied to discontinue 7 miles (11 km) of service between Rockville and Cold Spring and in early 2012 track owner BNSF received permission to abandon the westernmost 3 miles (4.8 km) of track and convert an additional 4 miles (6.4 km) between Cold Spring and Rockville to industry track.[1][2] Track was removed in Cold Spring and the last train, loaded with ties, left Cold Spring on August 22, 2012.[3] Also in 2012, Archer Daniels Midland constructed a shuttle loading grain elevator on the Cold Spring/Rockville line between Waite Park and Rockville, joining Wenner Gas's propane terminal (expanded in 2014) in Rockville and Martin Marietta Materials's aggregate quarry in Waite Park as customers on the line.[4]

In addition the railroad serves several customers in east St. Cloud via trackage rights on BNSF track.

The railroad handles approximately 10,000 carloads annually consisting mainly of aggregates, building products, chemicals, coal, food products, lumber, manufactured goods, paper, scrap, steel and stone.

The railroad is owned by Anacostia and Pacific Company, Inc and has its local headquarters in the old depot at the rail yard in central St. Cloud.

References
  • "Northern Lines Railway". Anacostia & Pacific Company. 2008-04-07. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
  1. "Northern Lines Railway, LLC-Discontinuance of Service Exemption-in Stearns County, MN". Federal Register. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  2. "STB Docket No. AB-6 BNSF Railway Company - Abandonment Exemption - In Stearns County, MN" (PDF). US Surface Transportation Board. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  3. "Last Train in Cold Spring, MN". Flickr. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  4. "ADM-Benson Quinn to Construct Shuttle Loader Grain Elevator in Central Minnesota". ADM. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
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