Freight Rail News and Happenings

[DanPatchToget]

I also wonder if TC&W will try and ask for anything in SLP cause I remember it was a sour point there where fighting the met council on because of the SWLRT, can't remember if they agreed to something and will keep using the Kenilworth corridor or was convinced to be rerouted to the MN&S Spur
Progress rail might get something and I might say something goes to the duluth/superior area but both might be optimistic

TC&W will continue using the Kenilworth Corridor, and a new rail connection from the TC&W to the MN&S Spur was recently completed, but instead of like the reroute plan where the connection would've turned north onto the MN&S Spur, the new connection goes south, so trains going to/from Savage can seamlessly travel between the two rail corridors.

This video shows the long and complicated process it took with getting a train between TC&W's tracks and the MN&S Spur via the old rail connection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsyJ9AtDrXo&t=1s

[DanPatchToget]

More TC&W news: They're building a couple spur tracks in the industrial area between 62nd Street and Indian Chief Road in Eden Prairie. One of the buildings added a loading dock that I assume is for boxcars, and the other parcel of land with a new spur track doesn't have a building yet. TC&W owns the land where those spurs go, so I'm guessing they're going to try to attract business to lease those buildings and ship by rail.

[Korh]

I'm actually surprised their doing and I don't know why cause on paper it sounds like the freight railroad equivalent of TOD, but I've never heard of any railroad building spurs to industrial areas they own and presumably renting it out to tenets.

[DanPatchToget]

IIRC Progressive Rail owns a lot of industrial land (called the Great Western Industrial Park) in Randolph and they've attracted some business.

[Tcmetro]

I'm actually surprised their doing and I don't know why cause on paper it sounds like the freight railroad equivalent of TOD, but I've never heard of any railroad building spurs to industrial areas they own and presumably renting it out to tenets.

Operations that require freight rail access are highly specialized and difficult to locate and it's common that railroads will at least work with brokers to provide extra services to potential tenants or owners of railroad adjacent lands.

BNSF has developed (or at least partnered) a massive logistics park in Kansas City, and I believe some other locations around the country as well.

[DanPatchToget]

If you're bored and want to kill over an hour, check out this video from the cab of a locomotive going south on the Dan Patch Line from St. Louis Park to Savage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtgBttVstc0

In the beginning of the video you can kind of see where the Green Line's Louisiana Avenue Station will be located. Towards the end of the video it shows the railroad bridge over the Minnesota River from Bloomington to Savage. The bridge is still there, but the tracks leading up to the bridge are pretty much covered by vegetation now.

[Korh]

I know their nowhere near the neck of the world but does anyone have a rundown on what the hell is happening with NS?
I tried to do some basic surface level digging and it kept kinda seems like both the current NS board/CEO and the investment firm trying to oust them are accusing the other of being the next Hunter Harrison.

[mattaudio]

No, but related to Norfolk Southern, I've always wondered if they would ever seek a mainline spur to connect with the Twin Cities market, similar to how Canadian National has access to the metro via the old SOO > Wisconsin Central line across the Arcola High Bridge.

NS has direct or trackage right access west to Des Moines, Kansas City, and Dallas.
In a world where they could have picked up the old MN&S line near Oskaloosa or Grinnell IA via Albert Lea, New Prague, and Chaska...
Or where they could have the old CGW via Oeilwein or Des Moines to St. Paul via Hayfield and Cannon Falls...
Too bad those alignments are mostly abandoned.