(The Associated Press circulated the following on June 1, 2009.)
PELTO, N.D. — BNSF Railway officials estimate spring flood damage at more than $3 million in North Dakota alone.
“This year presented one of the most problematic years due to weather-related damage in our history of operating in North Dakota,” BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas said.
Other railroads also are adding up the costs of spring flooding. Northern Plains Railroad Vice President Larry Jamieson estimates several hundred thousands of dollars in damage over the company’s 400 miles of track in northeastern North Dakota and northern Minnesota.
Flooding knocked out a line for more than a month from the Northern Plains headquarters in Fordville to Devils Lake. Crews dumped thousands of tons of rock to raise a bridge by 8 inches and the rail bed by 6 inches in a mile-long section north of Lakota.
Track and roadbeds were damaged in the areas of Jamestown, New Rockford, Fargo, Grand Forks, Mandan and Granville. Amtrak passenger trains, which use BNSF tracks, were rerouted between Minot and Fargo for about a month.
Minnesota Northern Railroad, a short line based in Crookston, also had significant losses from the flooding.
“We lost a bridge across the Pembina River at Walhalla. It’s out of service,” said George LaPray, the company’s general manager.
That trapped 30 rail cars on the north side of the bridge. LaPray estimates rebuilding piers and other repairs will cost about $500,000.
MNR serves four major shippers on the other side of the lost bridge: Walhalla Bean Co., Walhalla Farmers Grain LLC, Johnson Farms and Simplot Grower Solutions.
“We’re hoping we’re back in operation before freeze-up,” LaPray said. “We’d be surprised if we’re back before Labor Day. We’re out the revenue in the time being. “It certainly impacts our bottom line in a significant way.”
Walhalla Bean crews are forced to load seed at a site on the other side of the bridge, rather than from its warehouse.
The company, which employs nine, recently hired an extra person to handle the increased workload.
“I should be in the office, instead of loading trucks,” Walhalla Bean manager Darryl Berg said.
“We’ll deal with it,” he said, “but I don’t want to deal with it next winter.”
Northern Plains track inspector Rodger Harmon, who began his railroad career in 1979, got down on all fours recently, his knees grinding into freshly laid granite rock, as he examined the steel rail along Pelto Slough.
“We do sonic testing twice a year. It’s expensive. So, we still need to eyeball it,” he said.
The inspection is a challenge, he said, “but we’re going to do things right.”