Twin Cities and Western Railroad

Last updated
Twin Cities and Western Railroad
TCWR Map.png
Twin Cities and Western Railroad trackage. Solid lines are track owned by TCWR; dotted lines are TCWR trackage rights.
TCWR Train.jpg
A Twin Cities and Western Railroad train waits in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Overview
Headquarters Glencoe, Minnesota
Reporting mark TCWR
Locale Minnesota, South Dakota
Dates of operation1991present
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Length229 miles (369 km)
Other
Website Official website

The Twin Cities and Western Railroad( reporting mark TCWR) is a railroad operating in the U.S. state of Minnesota which started operations on July 27, 1991. [1] [2] Trackage includes the former Soo Line Railroad "Ortonville Line", originally built as the first part of the Pacific extension of the Milwaukee Road. This main line extends from Hopkins, Minnesota (a Western suburb of the Twin Cities),to Appleton, Minnesota. The line was originally built between Hopkins and Cologne, Minnesota, in 1876 by Hastings and Dakota Railroad. In 1913, the Milwaukee Road rerouted it, reducing the curves. The line was eventually extended to the Pacific.

Contents

As of 1991, the TCWR also has trackage rights over the BNSF Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway. In 2012, the TCWR purchased the Sisseton Milbank Railroad and it now operates as a subsidiary of the Twin Cities and Western Railway. [3]

The company is also affiliated with the Red River Valley and Western Railroad in North Dakota, and the Minnesota Prairie Line, which has a junction with the Twin Cities and Western in Norwood Young America, Minnesota.

Routing

Until Hiawatha Avenue (Minnesota State Highway 55) was reconstructed in the 1990s and plans for the Hiawatha Line light rail service entered late stages, the Twin Cities and Western operated on Canadian Pacific's Bass Lake Subdivision through the 29th Street railway trench in Minneapolis, now known as the Midtown Greenway. The tracks continued along the former Milwaukee Road Short Line into Saint Paul, where TC&W would access rail yards operated by Canadian Pacific, the Minnesota Commercial Railway, and others. As part of the Hiawatha project, the railroad's route to St Paul was moved from the 29th Street Corridor to the Kenilworth Corridor (former M&STL/C&NW track) to Cedar Lake Junction onto the BNSF just west of downtown Minneapolis. The re-route occurred in August of 1998.

After the TC&W was re-routed onto the Kenilworth Corridor, HCRRA constructed the Kenilworth Trail adjacent to the railroad track, using railroad right-of-way acquired from the Chicago and North Western Railway by the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority. [4] The Kenilworth alignment had first been built as part of the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway and eventually became part of the Chicago and North Western Railway. [5] The Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority acquired the land (1984?) prior to when C&NW abandoned the line (1993?) . [4] The existing freight operation shares the corridor with the Kenilworth Trail.

The temporary alignment was only expected to last five years and was proposed as a way to preserve the route for future transit. [4] By 2009, the connection was reaching the end of its lifespan and required rehabilitation. [4] A rerouting of the line was re-examined in 2009 for the planned Southwest Corridor light-rail line. Building the connection to the MN&S Subdivision was expected to cost about $48 million. [4] A more detailed analysis was expected to be completed by the end of 2010. [6] Because there was no freight rail engineering study done on the planned re-route of the freight rail route, and once the freight rail engineering study was completed in 2013, the impact of a safe re-route of freight rail was determined to negatively impact the local community, therefore the local community rejected freight rail reroute plans to the MN&S Subdivision in 2014. TC&W also rejected any rerouting that took it off the Kenilworth Corridor, pointing out that plans to reroute their trains onto Canadian Pacific's MN&S Spur were unsafe. In 2018, it was agreed to allow the railroad to continue using the Kenilworth line, and plans for co-locating freight rail and light rail were made. [7]

In order to protect a potentially important shipping route, TC&W purchased the Dan Patch Line Bridge over the Minnesota River in Savage. TC&W has trackage rights over CP's MN&S Subdivision to reach Savage, and as of the fall of 2022, was seeking state funding to rehabilitate a section of track in Savage that would allow direct service to Port Cargill and neighboring grain elevators to resume. [4] [8]

Motive power and operations

TC&W has 9 Caterpillar Generation II locomotives (4 EMD GP20s, 3 EMD GP30s, 2 EMD GP15Cs), 2 ex-KCC EMD GP39-2s, 1 EMD CF7 slug unit, 1 Paducah rebuilt EMD GP10, 1 EMD SW1200, and 6 EMD GP38-2s. Due to the CAT units being expensive to maintain, the railroad is slowly retiring them as they break down. [7]

Trains typically run six days per week between the Twin Cities and Renville with two- or three-day-per-week service west of Renville to Milbank, SD.

Company officers

Presidents of the TC&W have included:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milwaukee Road</span> Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States

The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), better known as the Milwaukee Road, was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milwaukee Road 261</span> Preserved American 4-8-4 locomotive

Milwaukee Road 261 is a class "S3" 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in Schenectady, New York in July 1944 for the Milwaukee Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Paul Union Depot</span> Train station in Saint Paul, Minnesota

Saint Paul Union Depot is a historic railroad station and intermodal transit hub in the Lowertown neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota. It serves light rail, intercity rail, intercity bus, and local bus services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soo Line Railroad</span> American class I railroad

The Soo Line Railroad is one of the primary United States railroad subsidiaries for the CPKC Railway, one of six U.S. Class I railroads, controlled through the Soo Line Corporation. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (MStP&SSM), which was commonly known as the Soo Line after the phonetic spelling of Sault, it was formed in 1961 by the consolidation of that company with two other CPKC subsidiaries: The Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway, and the Wisconsin Central Railway. It is also the successor to other Class I railroads, including the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway and the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. On the other hand, a large amount of mileage was spun off in 1987 to Wisconsin Central Ltd., now part of the Canadian National Railway. The Soo Line Railroad and the Delaware and Hudson Railway, CPKC's other major subsidiary, presently do business as the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). Most equipment has been repainted into the CP scheme, but the U.S. Surface Transportation Board groups all of the company's U.S. subsidiaries under the Soo Line name for reporting purposes. The Minneapolis headquarters are in the Canadian Pacific Plaza building, having moved from the nearby Soo Line Building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago and North Western Transportation Company</span> Rail transport company

The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over 12,000 miles (19,000 km) of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s. Until 1972, when the employees purchased the company, it was named the Chicago and North Western Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway</span> Shortline railroad in Minnesota

The Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway was an 87-mile (140 km) long American shortline railroad connecting Minneapolis and Northfield, Minnesota. It was incorporated in 1918 to take over the trackage of the former Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company, also known as the Dan Patch Lines. On June 2, 1982, it was acquired by the Soo Line Railroad, which operated it as a separate railroad until merging it on January 1, 1986, along with the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midtown Greenway</span> Shared-use path in Minneapolis, USA

The Midtown Greenway is a 5.7-mile (9.2 km) rail trail in Minneapolis, Minnesota that follows the path of an abandoned route of the Milwaukee Road railway. It is considered under segregated cycle facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minneapolis station (Milwaukee Road)</span> Historic railroad depot in Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Depot Freight House and Train Shed, now officially named The Depot, is a historic railroad depot in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. At its peak, the station served 29 trains per day. Following decline, the station was closed and eventually adapted into various other uses.

There are several passenger rail projects being discussed in Minnesota. There is one existing commuter rail service in the state, the Northstar Line, and one existing long-distance intercity rail service, the Empire Builder. Future projects include a mixture of short-distance commuter rail and medium-distance regional rail lines which would run from the Twin Cities outward to neighboring states and perhaps Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minneapolis Great Northern Depot</span> Demolished train station in Minnesota

The Minneapolis Great Northern Depot, also known as Great Northern Station, was a passenger railroad station which served Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. It was built in 1913 and demolished in 1978. It was located on Hennepin Avenue next to the Hennepin Avenue Bridge and across the street from the main Minneapolis Post Office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Patch Corridor</span> Commuter rail line in Minnesota

The Dan Patch Corridor is a proposed commuter rail line that would serve a region which runs from Minneapolis to Northfield, Minnesota. The corridor consists of the tracks on the former Minneapolis St. Paul Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company lines, which came to be known as the Dan Patch lines. It was proposed as a passenger rail line in 2000 after being identified as a "Tier One" corridor in the Minnesota Department of Transportation's 2000 Commuter Rail System Plan before being given a study ban during the 2002 Minnesota legislative session. It sat in relative silence until 2008, when bills were introduced in the Minnesota State Legislature to potentially revive discussion. On May 21, 2023, the Minnesota House of Representatives and Minnesota Senate passed an omnibus transit bill that removed the study ban for the Dan Patch line.

<i>Twin Cities Hiawatha</i> Former passenger train from Chicago to Minneapolis–Saint Paul

The Twin Cities Hiawatha, often just Hiawatha, was a named passenger train operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, and traveled from Chicago to the Twin Cities. The original train takes its name from the epic poem The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. There are a number of Hiawatha-themed names within the city of Minneapolis, the terminus of the original train. The first Hiawatha ran in 1935; in 1939 the Milwaukee Road introduced a second daily trip between Chicago and Minneapolis. The two trains were known as the Morning Hiawatha and Afternoon Hiawatha, or sometimes the AM Twin Cities Hiawatha and PM Twin Cities Hiawatha. The Milwaukee Road discontinued the Afternoon Hiawatha in 1970 while the Morning Hiawatha continued running until the formation of Amtrak in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Patch Line Bridge</span> Bridge in Minnesota and Savage, Minnesota

The Dan Patch Line Bridge is a railroad swing bridge that carries the Canadian Pacific Railway's MN&S Subdivision across the Minnesota River in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The MN&S Subdivision originated as the Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company, more commonly known as the Dan Patch Lines. Today's name for the rail line comes from the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railroad, which took over the Dan Patch route after the original railroad fell into bankruptcy. Despite being met by Canadian Pacific rails at either end, the bridge itself is owned by the Twin Cities and Western Railroad which has trackage rights on the CP line to the north. The TC&W purchased the bridge in order to protect a route that may become important in the future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomah Subdivision</span> Railway line in Wisconsin

The Tomah Subdivision or Tomah Sub is a railway line that runs about 103 miles (166 km) from La Crosse, WI in the west to Portage, WI in the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinckley Subdivision</span> Railway line in Minnesota and Wisconsin

The Hinckley Subdivision is a railway line that connects the Twin Cities to the Twin Ports in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Historically owned by the Great Northern Railway until 1970 and then the Burlington Northern Railroad until 1995–1996, it is now owned by BNSF Railway. The line branches north from the Staples Subdivision at Coon Creek junction in Coon Rapids, MN, and ends at Boylston junction between Foxboro and Superior, Wisconsin. There, the tracks meet the Lakes Subdivision from north-central Minnesota that bring trains into the Duluth–Superior area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watertown Subdivision</span> Railway line in Wisconsin

The Watertown Subdivision or Watertown Sub is a 92.7-mile (149.2 km) railway line in Wisconsin operated by Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) through its primary United States subsidiary, the Soo Line Railroad. It meets CPKC's Tomah Subdivision in the west in Portage and runs to Milwaukee in the east where it meets the C&M Subdivision. The Watertown Subdivision had previously been operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, though the Soo Line Railroad took it over when the Milwaukee Road folded. Canadian Pacific gained ownership via taking over the Soo Line. CP consolidated its operations with the Kansas City Southern Railway on April 14, 2023 to form CPKC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C&M Subdivision</span> Railway line in Wisconsin and Illinois

The Chicago and Milwaukee Subdivision is a 85.5-mile (137.6 km) railway line running between Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is mostly dispatched by Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited from a CP Rail facility in Minneapolis. From Pacific Junction to Chicago Union Station, it is dispatched by Metra's Consolidated Control Facility. The C&M Subdivision is the primary of CPKC's two northern routes from Chicago. The Union Pacific Railroad operates its Milwaukee Subdivision, a former Chicago & Northwestern Railway line, parallel to the C&M.

The MN&S Spur is a 18.5-mile (29.8 km) railroad line operated by the Progressive Rail Inc. The route runs through suburbs immediately west of Minneapolis, Minnesota, from MN&S Junction in Crystal south to Auto Club Junction in Bloomington near the Minnesota River. This path is parallel to Minnesota State Highway 100, which is about half a mile east of the rail line.

The Bass Lake Spur is a railroad line owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway that runs 6.8 miles (10.9 km) from Minneapolis, Minnesota west to the suburb of Minnetonka. The primary operator on the line is the Twin Cities and Western Railroad which has trackage rights on the entire line and uses it to run trains from their main line to BNSF Railway's Wayzata Subdivision.

<i>Borealis</i> (train) Amtrak inter-city rail service

The Borealis, referred to as Twin Cities–Milwaukee–Chicago (TCMC) during planning, is an Amtrak inter-city rail service that operates daily between Chicago, Illinois, and Saint Paul, Minnesota, via Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The first service began on May 21, 2024, under the Amtrak Midwest brand.

References

  1. 218-mile TC&W begins operation in Minnesota Railway Age September 1991 page 25
  2. Lewis, Edward (1996). American Shortline Railway Guide, 5th Edition. Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. p. 316. ISBN   0-89024-290-9 . Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  3. "Sisseton Milbank Railroad Overview." Twin Cities & Western Railroad Company. Retrieved: 22 March 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "TCWR Freight Rail Realignment Study" (PDF). Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority/TKDA. November 18, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 18, 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
  5. Russell L. Olson (1976). The Electric Railways of Minnesota. Minnesota Transportation Museum, Inc.
  6. "Background and Description of the Study". MN&S Rail Study. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
  7. 1 2 Glischinski, Steve (August 2021). "Twin Cities & Western Revisted". Trains. Milwaukee, WI: Kalmbach.
  8. "5-Year MN Freight Rail Repair, Improvement and Economic Development Capital Funding Need: $151.4 Million" (PDF). www.railwayage.com.
  9. 1 2 "Twin Cities & Western Railroad Promotes Wegner to President" (Press release). Twin Cities & Western Railroad. 2007-04-12.
Preceded by Short Line Railroad of the Year
2008
Succeeded by