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| Minnesota Commercial Railway | |
|---|---|
| Name | Minnesota Commercial Railway |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Headquarters | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Area served | Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area |
Minnesota Commercial Railway is a shortline railroad operating in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, providing freight switching, industrial switching, and transloading services. The company serves a variety of industries including manufacturing, agriculture, and energy, and connects local customers to national carriers and ports. Its operations interface with regional, national, and international transportation networks and regulatory bodies.
Minnesota Commercial Railway traces its lineage to predecessors that include Great Northern Railway (U.S.), Northern Pacific Railway, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, and Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad routes repurposed in the late 20th century. The company was formed in the context of railroad restructuring associated with the Staggers Rail Act of 1980 and the regional consolidation activities of Burlington Northern Railroad and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Early corporate developments involved negotiations with the Surface Transportation Board and local governments in Hennepin County, Minnesota and Anoka County, Minnesota. Key historical figures in the company's formation included executives from predecessor lines and regional transportation planners influenced by leaders from Minnesota Department of Transportation and City of Minneapolis officials. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s the railroad adapted to shifts in commodity flows influenced by trends in U.S. steel industry, Ethanol fuel, and the expansion of container traffic via Port of Duluth-Superior and Port of Minneapolis. Strategic alliances have involved partners such as Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, and Canadian National Railway.
The railroad operates a network centered in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Saint Paul, Minnesota, serving industrial districts including the Nicollet Island area, the North Loop, Minneapolis business corridor, and industrial parks in Bloomington, Minnesota and Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Primary operations include local switching, car storage, transloading, and carload freight serving customers in sectors represented by Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland, 3M, General Mills, and regional manufacturers. Trackage rights and agreements enable movements to interchange points at yards operated by Harrison Street Yard and Nicollet Island Yard interfaces with Class I carriers. The railway handles commodities such as petroleum products destined for Valero Energy Corporation facilities, aggregates for construction projects in Twin Cities metropolitan area, chemicals associated with Dow Inc., and agricultural products tied to CHS Inc. and Land O'Lakes, Inc.. Operations coordinate with agencies like the Federal Railroad Administration and local authorities including the Metropolitan Council (Minnesota) on scheduling, noise mitigation, and urban freight routing. Seasonal traffic patterns reflect grain harvest cycles linked to producers in Minnesota's Iron Range and shipping demands through the Saint Lawrence Seaway corridor.
The railroad maintains a roster that historically included rebuilt locomotives from manufacturers such as Electro-Motive Diesel, General Electric (GE) and remanufactures from firms like Progress Rail Services Corporation. Locomotive models in use have included rebuilt EMD SW1500 switchers and repowered EMD GP38 units, some modified by shops associated with National Railway Equipment Company. Freight car types handled include covered hoppers commonly used by Archer Daniels Midland, tank cars meeting specifications influenced by Association of American Railroads, and gondolas for scrap shipments associated with Nucor Corporation and local recyclers. Maintenance and upgrades have been influenced by industry standards from organizations such as American Association of Railroads and federal rules promulgated by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration for tank car specifications. Fleet modernization efforts mirrored trends adopted by short lines interacting with Regional Railroad Association initiatives.
Critical interchanges connect the railroad with Class I carriers including BNSF Railway, Union Pacific Railroad, Canadian National Railway, and Canadian Pacific Kansas City at strategic yards and junctions. These interchange points facilitate movements to long-haul corridors such as the Northern Transcon and access to inland ports like the Port of Duluth-Superior and barge terminals on the Mississippi River. Connections also enable freight to reach transcontinental gateways including Port of Seattle and Port of Los Angeles. The railroad participates in industry partnerships with terminal operators like CSX Transportation through reciprocal interchange agreements and coordinates with freight forwarders and logistics providers such as JB Hunt and Schneider National for drayage and intermodal linkages.
Primary facilities include engine shops, rail yards, and transload terminals located in Minneapolis industrial districts and near rail-served customers in Saint Paul. Maintenance-of-way equipment and facilities are maintained in depots similar to regional practices overseen by firms like Watco Companies and Genesee & Wyoming affiliates. Yard infrastructure includes trackwork influenced by standards from American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association and signaling interfaces coordinated with Federal Communications Commission regulations for radio communications. Fueling, sand, and parts inventories are managed in compliance with standards promulgated by Occupational Safety and Health Administration and local fire marshals in Hennepin County.
Operations are regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration and involve compliance with regulations such as Positive Train Control rulemakings where applicable, hazardous materials rules from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, and workplace safety standards from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Collaboration with emergency responders including Minneapolis Fire Department and Saint Paul Fire Department informs derailment and hazmat response planning. The railroad participates in industry safety programs and reporting to agencies like the National Transportation Safety Board in incident investigations and implements best practices advocated by the Transportation Research Board and Association of American Railroads safety committees.
The railroad supports industrial employment in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and interacts with major regional employers like Target Corporation distribution centers and manufacturers such as 3M and General Mills. Its operations influence land use planning with municipalities including Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Bloomington, and Edina, Minnesota, and factor into freight strategies coordinated by the Metropolitan Council (Minnesota). Community engagement includes mitigation of noise and grade crossing impacts in neighborhoods like Dinkytown and Northeast Minneapolis, and participation in economic development initiatives tied to Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. Environmental considerations involve coordination with agencies such as the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on stormwater and spill prevention, and partnerships with local conservation groups like Friends of the Mississippi River for corridor stewardship.
Category:Railway companies established in 1987 Category:Rail transportation in Minnesota Category:Shortline railroads in the United States