Dalrymple Presses Railroad for Improved Service for North Dakota Agriculture
Press Release
Gov. Jack Dalrymple today again pressed railroad officials to expedite shipping service for North Dakota's agriculture industry. The governor said BNSF Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway need to make better progress in reducing shipping backlogs that pose major problems for the state's farmers and elevators.
"With harvest quickly approaching, we need the mainline railroads to make better progress in reducing their shipping backlogs so that North Dakota's farmers and elevators can market their crops effectively and free up much-needed storage space," Dalrymple said. "We will continue to press for improved rail service to meet our immediate needs for timely shipments and to secure the long-term, reliable service that our farmers, elevators and food processors deserve."
Dalrymple pressed for improved rail service during a meeting today with John Miller, BNSF's vice president of agricultural products, and other BNSF officials. Dalrymple has held several talks with BNSF Chairman and CEO Matt Rose and other railroad executives to stress the state's need for more timely and reliable shipping service. The governor also continues to work with the state's congressional delegation to address the state's immediate rail service challenges and to secure dependable rail service in the long term.
Miller reported that BNSF had 7,719 past due rail cars ordered for shipments in North Dakota as of April 19. Miller said the railway has worked to reduce the backlog which stands at 2,399 past due cars today, a 69 percent reduction in past due cars. BNSF is investing $1 billion in its northern region, including plans to build about 100 miles of double track between Minot and Glasgow, Mont., to enhance its service capacity, Miller said. Canadian Pacific Railway reported on July 25 that it had 22,811 open requests for shipments from North Dakota, and the open requests average 11 weeks old.
Since June, the U.S. Surface Transportation Board has required BNSF Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway to provide weekly updates on their efforts to reduce shipment backlogs.
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