Montana Rail Link

The Montana Rail Link (MRL ) is an American Class 2 railway company in the states of Montana, Idaho and Washington. Headquartered in Missoula ( Montana). The company belongs to the group Washington Group of Companies of Dennis R. Washington.

The operation started on 1 November 1987 as a spin-off from Burlington Northern Railroad. The company drives on a route network of 1461 km (including Trackage Rights ), has 162 locomotives and 2,100 freight cars.

The company operates the former route of the Northern Pacific Railway (Burlington Northern's "Southern Route") of Huntley (Montana) over Billings, Helena, the Mullan Pass (1691 m), Missoula to Sandpoint and has track rights over the BNSF tracks to Spokane. In addition it operates branch lines to Twin Bridges, Spire Rocks, Darby, Polson and St. Regis ( all Montana).

Principal transport goods are agricultural and forestry products. In addition, BNSF trains use the route. The Montana Rail Link has connections to BNSF in Laurel (Montana), Helena (Montana ), Spokane (Washington) and Garrison (Montana) and the Union Pacific Railroad in Sandpoint (Idaho ). The locomotives are not required for the operation of the company rented to other railway companies. In 2005, the Montana Rail Link purchased the first regional railway company for a long time brand-new locomotives. There are EMD SD70ACe.