(The Aberdeen American News posted the following article by Russ Keen on its website on February 8.)
ABERDEEN, S.D. — The first significant railroad shipment north out of Aberdeen since state-owned tracks re-opened last fall is about to happen.
A 75-car train carrying corn grown in the area is expected to ride those rails early next week. The final destination is cattle ranches on the Canadian plains.
“They’re short of feed grains in Canada,” said Mike Nickolas of the Ipswich-based North Central Farmers Elevator, which is organizing the shipment. So far, North Dakota and Minnesota corn producers have been capitalizing on that Canadian demand. Now, South Dakota farmers are getting in on the action thanks to the re-opened tracks, Nickolas said.
“It will be the first major shipment north out of Aberdeen on that line,” he said.
At least 40 cars are already loaded near the NCFE elevator in Northville and loading was expected to continue late into the night on Friday. Other cars are at various NCFE sites.
The entire train will depart from Redfield and pass through Aberdeen, Amherst, Claremont and Britton before heading into North Dakota. It will switch to Canadian-Pacific lines near Hankinson, N.D., and then travel to Canada, Nickolas said.
The Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railway closed 50 miles of the track three years ago because of flood damage during t’he 1990s. BNSF gave the 50 miles to the state of South Dakota in 2001, with the state assuming responsibility for repairs and maintenance.
Last year the state bought an adjoining 23 miles of track from the state border to Geneseo, N.D. The re-opened track was first used on Sept. 26 when a smaller train was loaded with corn in Britton. That train, too, headed for Canada.
The Brookings-based Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad is supplying NCFE with the 75 cars scheduled to travel north out of Aberdeen next week. The Dakota, Missouri Valley and Western Railroad of Bismarck, N.D., is cooperating in the venture; DMV&W has the contract to operate the state-owned tracks.
“This means a new market opportunity for some producers,” said Lynn Anderson of DM&E in Brookings. “It will broaden destinations for their products.”