Montana Rail Link shutting down, BNSF ending lease on 900 mile trackage.
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You scared me there for a moment - BNSF is likely taking over MRL, not shutting down MRL's operations. I live near Laurel, MT, where a large % of the population works for, or is directly affected by MRL - I'm glad to see the "stated intentions" include keeping the employees in their positions.
The blue, white and black will remain alive and well on my layout though 
@Power Poynt posted:You scared me there for a moment - BNSF is likely taking over MRL, not shutting down MRL's operations. I live near Laurel, MT, where a large % of the population works for, or is directly affected by MRL - I'm glad to see the "stated intentions" include keeping the employees in their positions.
The blue, white and black will remain alive and well on my layout though
Sorry - about that, didn't mean to quite that alarmist. I was glad to see that in the article as well, I hope the personnel are protected.
Also - I love that paint scheme. I remember way back when and lionel came out with a MRL engine on a GP9 or something similar, I thought it was awesome, and since I was a kid I didn't even know or car if MRL actually had any of those locomotives!
I always hate to see a railroad go out of business. But in this case, it looks like the BNSF is basically reclaiming former territory from regional MRL and continuing with the current employees. This is good. Almost a thousand miles of track is a pretty good swath.
This will finally end an issue that has existed for private car fleets where BNSF and MRL are concerned.
I’m retired now but, my former employer shipped loaded cars to the PNW routed BNSF. The loads moving west would stay on BNSF the entire trip but, the empties returning east were generally routed over MRL at BNSF’s discretion for “operational convenience”. This resulted in excess empty mileage charges being billed against our private cars for the miles traveled over MRL. This always struck me as just another of the lawful but, unfair ways in which railroads siphon money from customer wallets.
While railfans may lament the disappearance of MRL, it will in some small way simplify life for private car owners and lessees.
Curt
So, Burlington Northern, 1987 "We can't operate this at a profit, let's lease it out". Montana Rail Link operates it at a profit for 35 years, and BNSF wants back in?
That’s a shame. It was a nice paint scheme.
I guess Warren & Charlie can't find any other good investment deals/ideas at the moment
Maybe BNSF is smelling blood between the CPKC merger and CN in house issues. Securing MRL will give them full control of transcon traffic.
Also, is MRL a route to the Joint Line coal main? Another relief valve? Possible coal export traffic to Asia?
@Dominic Mazoch posted:Maybe BNSF is smelling blood between the CPKC merger and CN in house issues. Securing MRL will give them full control of transcon traffic.
Also, is MRL a route to the Joint Line coal main? Another relief valve? Possible coal export traffic to Asia?
I don’t think the CPKC merger has much, if anything, to do with this. 90% of MRL’s traffic is overhead moving to/from BNSF. Additionally, Dennis Washington is in his late 80’s and one could imagine he simply wants out. Given that MRL leases their railroad from BNSF, it wouldn’t seem likely anyone but BNSF could be Washington’s outlet to cash in and enjoy whatever years he has left.
Curt
