Northern Lines Railway

Northern Lines Railway (reporting mark NLR) is a shortline railroad operating 25 miles (40 km) of track in and near St. Cloud in central Minnesota. The railroad was formed in 2004 to operate former Burlington Northern Santa Fe trackage in the St. Cloud area. Interchange is made with BNSF in east St. Cloud.

The railroad operates three connected lines. The St. Joseph branch extends from the connection with BNSF in east St. Cloud westward, crosses the Mississippi River on the 1892 St. Cloud Rail Bridge and continues on to St. Joseph, approximately 7 miles (11 km). The Cold Spring branch extends southwestward from its connection with the St. Joseph branch line in west St. Cloud, passing through Waite Park and Rockville and terminating just west of Cold Spring, approximately 15 miles (24 km). The East St. Cloud branch extends from the connection with BNSF in east St. Cloud, crosses U.S. Route 10, and terminates at the Quebecor World printing plant in east St. Cloud, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km). In addition the railroad serves several customers in east St. Cloud via trackage rights on BNSF track.

The railroad handles approximately 10,000 carloads annually consisting mainly of aggregates, building products, chemicals, coal, food products, lumber, manufactured goods, paper, scrap, steel and stone.

The railroad is owned by Anacostia and Pacific Company, Inc and has its local headquarters in the old depot at the rail yard in central St. Cloud.

References

• "Northern Lines Railway". Anacostia & Pacific Company. 2008-04-07. http://www.anacostia.com/nlr/nlr.html. Retrieved 2008-06-03.