Montana Rail Link

Montana Rail Link (reporting mark MRL) is a privately held Class II railroad in the United States. It operates on trackage originally built by the Northern Pacific Railway and leased from its successor BNSF Railway. MRL is a unit of The Washington Companies and is headquartered in Missoula, Montana.

Not to be confused with the defunct Montana Railroad.

Montana Rail Link
A Montana Rail Link train in April 2005
Overview
HeadquartersMissoula, Montana
Reporting markMRL
LocaleIdaho, Montana, Washington
Dates of operationOctober 31, 1987–Present
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length937 miles
Other
Websitewww.montanarail.com
MRL #390, an EMD F45, leads a freight train

The railroad runs between Huntley, Montana and Spokane, Washington, largely within Montana, and the main line passes through the towns of Missoula, Livingston, Bozeman, Billings, and Helena. Montana Rail Link connects with the BNSF on both ends and also in Garrison, Montana. The railroad has over 900 miles (1,400 km) of track,[1] serves 100 stations, and employs approximately 1,000 personnel. The main classification yard is in Laurel, Montana, with smaller yards in Missoula, Billings, Bozeman and Helena.[2] Repair and mechanical facilities are in Livingston, Montana; turntables remain in Livingston and Laurel.

In January 2022, MRL and BNSF agreed on an early lease termination to return control of the line to BNSF. This was later approved by the Surface Transportation Board on March 8, 2023.[3]

History

Montana Rail Link's present status and main line date back to October 31, 1987, when MRL under Missoula businessman Dennis Washington commenced a 60-year lease of Burlington Northern's southern Montana main line between Sandpoint, Idaho and Huntley, Montana, near Billings.[4][5] This spin-off was controversial as it happened during contract negotiations between Burlington Northern and the United Transportation Union. MRL workers are represented by various unions. Montana Rail Link trains operate between Billings and Spokane using trackage rights over BN successor BNSF's tracks connecting those points.

Montana Rail Link boxcar on the Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway at Cedar Rapids

Montana Rail Link still uses cabooses, which are used to carry remote control switching equipment on Laurel switch engines. A significant number of MRL movements are actually BNSF trains, complete with locomotives, that MRL receives at one end of its track and forwards back to BNSF at the other end. MRL also operates trains of its own to gather and distribute local freight along its lines. Forest products and grain are primary commodities, and MRL also operates a special train, called the Gas Local, between Missoula and Thompson Falls, Montana, to bridge a gap in a long-distance gasoline pipeline.

On September 8, 2005, Montana Rail Link took delivery of locomotive number 4300, the first of 16 new EMD SD70ACe locomotives. This was the first locomotive that the railroad has ordered new from a manufacturer, and it and the rest of the class were intended to replace aging SD40 and SD45 locomotives on trains crossing the Rocky Mountains over the continental divide at Mullan Pass near Helena, Montana and Bozeman Pass near Bozeman, Montana.[6]

In January 2022, BNSF agreed to pay MRL $2 billion for an early lease termination.[5][7][8] The return to BNSF control will require the approval of the Surface Transportation Board before taking effect.[9][10]

1989 Helena Train Wreck

One of the most severe accidents in MRL history was the Helena Train Wreck of February 2, 1989, when 48 decoupled rail cars rolled into Helena, hit a parked work train, caught fire and exploded. While property damage was extensive, there were no casualties.[11]

2014 Alberton derailment

On July 3, 2014, a MRL train with 90 railcars derailed near Alberton, Montana, en route from Laurel, Montana to Spokane, Washington. Twenty cars derailed, including three containing hazardous materials and six Boeing 737 fuselages. The 737 fuselages had been built in Kansas at Spirit AeroSystems and were being shipped to Renton, Washington, for final assembly. Three of the fuselages fell down an embankment, with two reaching the Clark Fork River.[12] [13]The six fuselages were recovered and scrapped within the month.[14][15][16]

2023 Quinn's Hot Springs derailment

On the morning of Sunday, April 2, 2023, a westbound MRL freight train derailed at Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort in Paradise, Montana. About 25 cars derailed, including cases of canned and bottled beer, clay powder and one with highly flammable gas (alternately described as butane or propane); some cars tumbled into the Clark Fork River, and others derailed in the nearby tunnel. There were no injuries, fires or release of hazardous materials. Strong winds blowing the clay powder appeared like smoke and guest cabins were evacuated as a precaution. As the derailment site was only accessible by water, the fire district's water rescue team ferried responders across the river in a small boat.[17][1]

References
  1. "Freight train derails into Clark Fork River". Coeur d'Alene Press. April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  2. For a general guide to the railroad, see Del Grosso, "Montana Rail Link Trackside Guide and Locomotive Directory" (1992, Great Northern Pacific Publications).
  3. UPDATE: STB Approves MRL Lease Termination, BNSF to Takeover by Year’s End Railfan & Railroad March 8, 2023
  4. Montana Rail Link marking 30th year Railway Age September 5, 2017
  5. Montana Rail Link to bow out Trains April 2022 page 4
  6. Danneman, Thomas (March 2006). "New Muscle for Montana". Trains Magazine. Vol. 66, no. 3. pp. 38–41.
  7. "MRL employees advised rail sold to BNSF". NBC Montana. January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  8. Stephens, Bill. "BNSF had to undo Montana Rail Link Lease." Trains, May 2022, p. 11.
  9. Franz, Justin (January 11, 2022). "Washington Companies to terminate Montana Rail Link lease". Montana Free Press. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  10. "BNSF to take over Montana Rail Link after leasing agreement terminated". Missoula Current. January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  11. Brandt, Angela (February 1, 2009). "20 Years Ago Today, Helena Shook, Rattled and Froze". Independent Record. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  12. "Accident Investigation Report HQ-2014-8: Montana Rail Link (MRL), Alberton, MT, July 3, 2014". Federal Railroad Administration. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  13. Briggeman, Kim (July 24, 2014). "Crews dismantling Boeing fuselages pulled from Clark Fork". The Missoulian. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  14. Kato, Dillon (July 7, 2014). "Work begins to remove Boeing fuselages from Clark Fork River". The Missoulian. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  15. "Boeing 737 fuselages damaged in train derailment". Reuters. July 5, 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  16. Brown, Brandon (July 28, 2014). "Boeing 737 fuselages scrapped by Montana recycling firm". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  17. Buchli, Joshua Murdock, Zoë. "UPDATED: 25-car train derailment reported near Quinn's Hot Springs". missoulian.com. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
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