MISSOULA, Mont. — Montana Rail Link plans to retain several branch lines that are not part of the lease agreement with BNSF Railway that it is ending, but has no plans to operate those lines, a company spokesman said recently.
KPAX-TV reports that spokeman Jon Bennion told a recent meeting of the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority that MRL will exit the railroad business, save for operations in British Columbia.
Bennion said some small spurs to serve specific customers will transfer to BNSF, but larger branches — including the Bitterroot and Dixon branches — will be retained. Neither of those routes has been used for anything but car storage in recent years. But the company says its focus has been on the transfer of operations to BNSF, not the branches.
Once the transfer is approved by the Surface Transportation Board, Bennion said, “what we want to do is engage in conversations with these communities” to determine what to do with the branch lines.
In British Columbia, MRL’s parent, the Washington Cos., will continue to own and operate the Southern Railway of British Columbia and the related Southern Railway of Vancouver Island.
