MRL terminates lease agreement.

[DARTrider]

After 35 years of continuous service, the MRL has decided to terminate it's lease with BNSF, meaning the BNSF has full control, after the STB approves it.
Read this article for more information: https://montanafreepress.org/2022/01/11/montana-rail-link-cedes-lease-to-bnsf/

 

[Forester1]

Interesting. Not clear about the locomotives, but it sounds like maybe they will keep running on some of those side routes? Or are they done completely?

 

[RHKluckhohn]

In that the two lines serve different major sections of the Montana economy, we can hope service on the old NP continues.

However, it looks like our asset creators will have to start doing patch-outs on the existing MRL equipment.

:B~)

 

[wreeder]

Looks like the latest copy of Trains has a large article on this story.