Progressive Rail
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Progressive Rail | |
|---|---|
 |
|
 |
|
| Reporting marks | PGR |
| Locale | Minnesota |
| Dates of operation | 1996 – |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Lakeville, Minnesota |
Progressive Rail, Inc.,headquartered in Lakeville, Minnesota (a southern suburb of Minneapolis-St. Paul), is a short line railroad operating several branches including the Airlake Terminal Railway. Not all segments physically connect. The branches are listed as follows:
- Airlake Industrial Park in Lakeville, Minnesota
- The "High Line" or alternately "Dan Patch Line" in Bloomington, Minnesota, Richfield, Minnesota, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, beginning at Auto Club Yard in Bloomington and serving a variety of industries
- Northfield to Lakeville, leased CP Rail trackage
- Northfield to Faribault, Minnesota, leased Union Pacific trackage
- Northfield to Cannon Falls, Minnesota, with service to the Great Western Industrial Park in Randolph, Minnesota
- The Eagandale industrial line in Eagan, Minnesota, leased CP Rail trackage (exMilwaukee Road)
Progressive Rail also acquired the Wisconsin Northern Division in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and operates as a separately-named division.
The railroad originally started in 1996 serving the Airlake Industrial Park. In 2001, they leased the ex-Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway "High Line" in Bloomington and Richfield and started rebuilding the track. The company's philosophy has been to provide service that a large railway chooses not to provide. They have also focused on economic development, including finding new customers, and working on regaining former rail customers along their lines. This strategy has paid off in an increase in traffic, from 600 carloads in their first year of operation to more than 5000 carloads in 2003.
Major commodities include: resins, chemicals, fuels, cement, fly-ash, metals, paper, machinery, food and kindred products, scrap materials, and consumer products.
Progressive Rail also operates a wholly owned subsidiary, Progressive Rail Specialized Logistics, that provides rail logistics services for machinery and over-dimensional freight shippers.
[edit] References
- Progressive Rail, Inc. official site
- Progressive Rail Specialized Logistics official site
- Home page of Progressive Rail President Casey
- Union Pacific shortline customer description
- Canadian Pacific shortline customer description
- University of Minnesota Railroad Club
- Twin Cities Business Journal, August 27, 2001
- Twin Cities Business Journal, March 24, 2004
- Official Railway Equipment Register
