List of Minnesota railroads
The following railroads operate in the U.S. state of Minnesota.
Common freight carriers[]
- Airlake Terminal Railway (ALT)
- BNSF Railway (BNSF)
- Canadian National Railway (CN) including subsidiaries Cedar River Railroad (CEDR), Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway (DMIR), Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway (DWP), Illinois Central Railroad and Wisconsin Central Ltd. (WC)
- Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) through subsidiaries Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad (DME) and Soo Line Railroad (SOO)
- Cloquet Terminal Railroad (CTRR)
- Minnesota Commercial Railway (MNNR)
- Minnesota, Dakota and Western Railway (MDW)
- Minnesota Northern Railroad (MNN)
- Minnesota Prairie Line, Inc. (MPLI)
- Northern Lines Railway (NLR)
- Northern Plains Railroad (NPR)
- Otter Tail Valley Railroad (OTVR)
- Progressive Rail, Inc. (PGR)
- Red River Valley and Western Railroad (RRVW)
- St. Croix Valley Railroad (SCXY)
- Twin Cities and Western Railroad (TCWR)
- Union Pacific Railroad (UP)
Private freight carriers[]
- Cliffs Erie Railroad
- US Steel
Passenger carriers[]
- Amtrak (AMTK)
- METRO Light Rail
- North Shore Scenic Railroad (NSSR)
- Northstar Line (MNRX)
- Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad
- Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway
Defunct railroads[]
This transport-related list is incomplete; you can help by . (October 2021) |
Name | Mark | System[nb 1] | From | To | Successor | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ALS | IC | 1899 | 1908 | |||
GN | 1880 | 1881 | ||||
BMR | GN | 1880 | 1880 | St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway | ||
BBR | 1889 | 1892 | N/A | |||
BFIF | NP | 1908 | 1923 | Northern Pacific Railway | ||
Big Fork and Northern Railway | BFN | NP | 1905 | 1942 | Northern Pacific Railway | |
Brainerd and Northern Minnesota Railway | BNMR | NP | 1892 | 1901 | Minnesota and International Railway | |
Buffalo Ridge Railroad | BFRR | 1989 | 1992 | |||
Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway | BCRN | RI | 1876 | 1903 | Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway | |
Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway | BNSF | 1996 | 2005 | BNSF Railway | ||
Burlington Northern Inc. | BN | 1970 | 1981 | Burlington Northern Railroad | ||
Burlington Northern Railroad | BN | 1981 | 1996 | Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway | ||
CMRC | MILW | 1873 | 1880 | |||
CMWR | MILW | 1879 | 1880 | |||
Canadian Northern Railway | CN | CN | 1901 | 1923 | Canadian National Railway | |
CGW | 1872 | 1878 | ||||
Cedar Rapids, Iowa Falls and Northwestern Railway | CRIN | RI | 1880 | 1902 | Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway | |
Cedar Valley Railroad | CVAR | 1984 | 1991 | Cedar River Railroad | ||
CRCM | MILW | 1872 | 1879 | |||
CHRC | CNW | 1878 | 1881 | Winona and St. Peter Railroad | ||
CDRC | IC | 1887 | 1888 | |||
CB&Q | 1885 | 1899 | Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad | |||
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad | CB&Q, CBQ | CB&Q | 1899 | 1970 | Burlington Northern Inc. | |
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railway | CB&Q | 1901 | 1907 | N/A | Leased the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad | |
CCDM | MILW | 1878 | 1880 | Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway | ||
CDRY | CNW | 1879 | 1881 | Winona and St. Peter Railroad | ||
CDMR | MILW | 1871 | 1877 | |||
Chicago Great Western Railroad | CGW | CGW | 1909 | 1941 | Chicago Great Western Railway | |
Chicago Great Western Railway | CGW | CGW | 1940 | 1968 | Chicago and North Western Railway | |
Chicago Great Western Railway | CGW | CGW | 1892 | 1909 | Chicago Great Western Railroad | |
Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway | CMSP | MILW | 1874 | 1928 | Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad | |
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad | MILW | MILW | 1928 | 1985 | The Milwaukee Road, Inc. | |
Chicago and North Western Railway | CNW | CNW | 1870 | 1972 | Chicago and North Western Transportation Company | |
Chicago and North Western Transportation Company | CNW | CNW | 1972 | 1995 | Union Pacific Railroad | |
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad | RI, ROCK | RI | 1947 | 1980 | Chicago and North Western Railway | |
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway | RI | RI | 1902 | 1948 | Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad | |
Chicago, St. Paul and Kansas City Railway | CSPKC | CGW | 1886 | 1893 | Chicago Great Western Railway | |
Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway | CMO | CNW | 1881 | 1972 | Chicago and North Western Transportation Company | |
CIRR | CP | 1908 | 1910 | Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway | ||
Cuyuna Northern Railway | CNRC | NP | 1911 | 1914 | Northern Pacific Railway | |
Dakota Rail, Inc. | DAKR | 1985 | 2000 | N/A | ||
DMVR | CNW | 1899 | 1900 | Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway | ||
DMNR | MILW | 1877 | 1878 | |||
DSCR | IC | 1888 | 1946 | Illinois Central Railroad | ||
DCNR | NP | 1889 | 1898 | Northern Pacific Railway | ||
MILW | 1888 | 1900 | Duluth, St. Cloud, Glencoe and Mankato Railway | |||
Duluth and Iron Range Railroad | DIRR | 1874 | 1938 | Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway | ||
DMR | NP | 1885 | 1898 | Northern Pacific Railway | ||
NP | 1884 | 1885 | ||||
Duluth, Missabe and Northern Railway | DM&N | DMN | 1891 | 1937 | Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway | |
DMRN | GN | 1892 | 1899 | Eastern Railway of Minnesota | ||
DNE | 1898 | 2002 | Cloquet Terminal Railroad | |||
DNM | 1898 | 1923 | N/A | |||
DRLW | CN | 1905 | 1912 | Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway | ||
DRWS | CGW | 1886 | 1901 | Wisconsin, Minnesota and Pacific Railroad | ||
Duluth, St. Cloud, Glencoe and Mankato Railway | DSCG | MILW | 1900 | 1910 | Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway | |
Duluth Short Line Railway | DSLR | NP | 1886 | 1898 | St. Paul and Duluth Railroad | |
Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railroad | DSA | CP | 1949 | 1961 | Soo Line Railroad | |
Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway | DS&A, DSS&A, DSA | CP | 1949 | Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railroad | ||
DSB | 1894 | 1901 | Eastern Railway of Minnesota | |||
Duluth, Superior and Western Railway | DSW | GN | 1896 | 1898 | Eastern Railway of Minnesota | |
Duluth Terminal Railway | DTRC | GN | 1887 | 1928 | Great Northern Railway | |
Duluth Transfer Railroad | DTRR | NP | 1902 | 1902 | Northern Pacific Railway | |
DTRY | NP | 1890 | 1902 | Duluth Transfer Railroad | ||
DUD | NP | 1889 | 1892 | Duluth Union Depot and Transfer Company | ||
Duluth Union Depot and Transfer Company | DUDT | NP | 1892 | N/A | ||
DVRL | CN | 1901 | 1905 | |||
DWRC | GN | 1878 | 1896 | Duluth, Superior and Western Railway | ||
Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railroad | CN | 1909 | ||||
Eastern Railway of Minnesota | ERCM | GN | 1887 | 1907 | Great Northern Railway | |
Electric Short Line Railroad | ESLR | CP | 1908 | 1915 | Electric Short Line Terminal Company | |
Electric Short Line Railway | ESL | MSTL | 1908 | 1924 | Minnesota Western Railroad | |
Electric Short Line Terminal Company | ESLTC | CP | 1915 | 1956 | Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway | |
MILW | 1883 | 1883 | ||||
FSRC | MILW | 1883 | 1885 | Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway | ||
Grantsburgh, Rush City and St. Cloud Railroad | GRSC | NP | 1878 | 1899 | St. Paul and Duluth Railroad | |
Great Northern Railway | GN | GN | 1889 | 1970 | Burlington Northern Inc. | |
GBM | 1874 | 1881 | ||||
Green Bay and Western Railroad | GB&W, GBW | 1896 | 1985 | N/A | ||
GBWSP | 1881 | 1896 | Green Bay and Western Railroad | |||
Gunflint and Lake Superior Railroad | G&LS | 1902 | 1909 | N/A | ||
HD | MILW | 1867 | 1880 | Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway | ||
MILW | 1857 | 1867 | ||||
HCY | 1915 | 1935 | N/A | |||
Illinois Central Railroad | IC | IC | 1887 | 1972 | Illinois Central Gulf Railroad | |
Illinois Central Gulf Railroad | ICG | 1972 | 1984 | Cedar Valley Railroad | ||
I&M Rail Link | IMRL | 1997 | 2002 | Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad | ||
International Bridge and Terminal Company | 1902 | 1910 | Minnesota, Dakota and Western Railway | |||
Iowa Central Railway | MSTL | 1901 | 1912 | Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad | ||
Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad | ICE | 2002 | 2008 | Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad | ||
CNW | 1898 | 1900 | Chicago and North Western Railway | |||
GN | 1886 | 1893 | Eastern Railway of Minnesota | |||
CNW | 1857 | 1877 | Chicago and North Western Railway | |||
Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad | NP | 1861 | 1877 | St. Paul and Duluth Railroad | ||
Lake Superior and South Western Railway | GN | 1885 | 1888 | Eastern Railway of Minnesota | ||
NP | 1879 | 1900 | Northern Pacific Railway | |||
NP | 1890 | 1899 | Northern Pacific Railway | |||
CNW | 1899 | 1900 | Winona and St. Peter Railroad | |||
CGW | 1895 | 1896 | Chicago Great Western Railway | |||
CGW | 1905 | 1940 | Chicago Great Western Railroad | |||
CGW | 1902 | 1905 | ||||
MILW | 1866 | 1867 | Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway | |||
1894 | N/A | |||||
The Milwaukee Road, Inc. | MILW | MILW | 1985 | 1986 | Soo Line Railroad | |
Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway | MILW | 1867 | 1874 | Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway | ||
Minneapolis, Anoka and Cuyuna Range Railroad | MA&C, MACR | GN | 1929 | |||
MA&C | GN | 1915 | 1929 | Minneapolis, Anoka and Cuyuna Range Railroad | Freight service electrified in 1922 | |
GN | 1917 | 1928 | Great Northern Railway | |||
MILW | 1856 | 1860 | ||||
Minneapolis and Duluth Railroad | NP | 1871 | 1881 | Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway | ||
MINE | CNW/ MILW | 1878 | ||||
MILW | 1862 | 1864 | ||||
Minneapolis Industrial Railway | MIR | MSTL | 1959 | |||
MSTL | 1895 | 1899 | Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad | |||
GN | 1912 | 1915 | ||||
Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway | MNS | CP | 1918 | 1986 | Soo Line Railroad | |
Minneapolis and Northwestern Railroad | GN | 1878 | 1883 | St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway | ||
CP | 1884 | 1888 | Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway | |||
Minneapolis and Rainy River Railway | M&RR | 1904 | 1932 | N/A | ||
MRLM | 1904 | 1938 | N/A | |||
CP | 1907 | Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company | ||||
GN | 1856 | 1889 | Eastern Railway of Minnesota, Great Northern Railway, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway | |||
CP | 1883 | 1888 | Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie and Atlantic Railway | |||
CP | 1884 | 1888 | Wisconsin Central Company | |||
Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad | MSTL | 1894 | 1944 | Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway | ||
Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway | MSTL | MSTL | 1939 | 1960 | Chicago and North Western Railway | |
Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway | MSTL | 1870 | 1894 | Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad | ||
Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company | CP | 1907 | 1918 | Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway | ||
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad | SOO | 1944 | 1961 | Soo Line Railroad | ||
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway | SOO | CP | 1888 | 1944 | Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad | |
RI | 1903 | 1904 | Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway | |||
Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie and Atlantic Railway | CP | 1886 | 1888 | Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway | ||
GN | 1881 | 1907 | Great Northern Railway | |||
GN | 1884 | 1928 | Great Northern Railway | |||
CB&Q/ CGW/ CNW/ CP/ GN/ MILW/ MSTL/ NP/ RI | 1887 | 1898 | Minnesota Transfer Railway | |||
CNW | 1879 | 1879 | ||||
MCTA | 1994 | 2000 | Minnesota Prairie Line, Inc. | |||
CGW | 1857 | 1883 | ||||
MILW | 1864 | 1870 | , Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway | |||
GN | 1879 | 1883 | St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway | |||
Minnesota and Great Northern Railway | GN | 1904 | 1907 | Great Northern Railway | ||
Minnesota and International Railway | MI | NP | 1900 | 1941 | Northern Pacific Railway | |
CNW | 1898 | 1900 | Chicago and North Western Railway | |||
CN | 1899 | |||||
MILW | 1876 | 1883 | Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway | |||
1898 | 1912 | N/A | ||||
Minnesota Northern Railroad | NP | 1878 | 1881 | |||
Minnesota and Northwestern Railroad | CGW | 1854 | 1887 | Chicago, St. Paul and Kansas City Railway | ||
Minnesota and Northwestern Railroad | MILW | 1857 | 1872 | |||
Minnesota Northwestern Electric Railway | 1913 | 1940 | N/A | |||
CN | 1899 | |||||
Minnesota and Pacific Railroad | GN, MILW, NP | 1857 | 1860 | St. Paul and Pacific Railroad | ||
MSLC | ||||||
CNW | 1899 | 1900 | Winona and St. Peter Railroad | |||
Minnesota Transfer Railway | MTFR | CB&Q/ CGW/ CNW/ CP/ GN/ MILW/ MSTL/ NP/ RI | 1883 | 1987 | Minnesota Commercial Railway | |
CNW | 1864 | 1870 | ||||
CNW | 1876 | 1881 | Winona and St. Peter Railroad | |||
Minnesota Western Railroad | MSTL | 1924 | 1932 | |||
Minnesota Western Railroad | MSTL | 1853 | 1870 | Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway | ||
MW | MSTL | 1932 | 1959 | Minneapolis Industrial Railway | ||
CNW | 1901 | 1902 | Chicago and North Western Railway | |||
MH&W | 1908 | 1915 | ||||
MNVA Railroad | MNVA | 1984 | 1994 | |||
GN | 1884 | 1891 | St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway | |||
NP | 1857 | 1861 | Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad | |||
NRR | 1994 | 2000 | Minnesota Southern Railway | |||
Northern Pacific Railroad | NP | 1864 | 1896 | Northern Pacific Railway | ||
Northern Pacific Railway | NP | NP | 1896 | 1970 | Burlington Northern Inc. | |
NP | 1881 | 1898 | Northern Pacific Railway | |||
GN | 1894 | 1899 | ||||
GN | 1897 | 1907 | Great Northern Railway | |||
CNW | 1877 | 1881 | Winona and St. Peter Railroad | |||
Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway | CN | 1892 | 1915 | N/A | ||
MSTL | 1883 | 1984 | Chicago and North Western Transportation Company | |||
1897 | 1904 | |||||
GN | 1882 | 1883 | St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway | |||
GN | 1877 | 1879 | St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway | |||
GN | 1875 | 1879 | St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway | |||
CNW | 1877 | 1881 | Winona and St. Peter Railroad | |||
MILW | 1855 | 1857 | ||||
GN | 1880 | 1880 | St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway | |||
GN | 1865 | 1886 | St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway | |||
CNW | 1872 | 1873 | ||||
St. Paul Bridge and Terminal Railway | SPB | CGW | 1908 | |||
MILW | 1867 | 1872 | Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway | |||
CNW | 1876 | 1878 | ||||
St. Paul and Duluth Railroad | NP | 1877 | 1900 | Northern Pacific Railway | ||
St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway | GN | 1879 | 1907 | Great Northern Railway | ||
St. Paul and Northern Pacific Railway | NP | 1883 | 1896 | Northern Pacific Railway | ||
St. Paul and Pacific Railroad | GN, MILW, NP | 1862 | 1879 | , St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway, Western Railroad of Minnesota | ||
CP | 1884 | 1884 | ||||
CP | 1885 | 1888 | ||||
CNW | 1870 | 1881 | Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway | |||
CNW | 1869 | 1880 | ||||
RI | 1902 | 1903 | ||||
SPUD | CB&Q/ CGW/ CNW/ CP/ GN/ MILW/ MSTL/ NP/ RI | 1879 | ||||
GN | 1881 | 1883 | St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway | |||
CNW | 1866 | 1879 | ||||
RI | 1889 | 1903 | ||||
MILW | 1857 | 1877 | , | |||
MILW | 1877 | 1880 | Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway | |||
MILW | 1878 | 1880 | ||||
1907 | 1937 | Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway | ||||
MILW | 1880 | 1882 | Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway | |||
Stillwater and St. Paul Railroad | NP | 1867 | 1899 | St. Paul and Duluth Railroad | ||
NP | 1878 | 1881 | ||||
NP | 1888 | 1896 | ||||
GN | 1899 | 1900 | Eastern Railway of Minnesota | |||
GN | 1891 | 1894 | ||||
CNW | 1885 | 1895 | Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway | |||
GN | 1890 | 1891 | ||||
Taylors Falls and Lake Superior Railroad | NP | 1875 | 1898 | St. Paul and Duluth Railroad | ||
CNW | 1855 | 1860 | Winona and St. Peter Railroad | |||
NP | 1881 | 1888 | ||||
NP | 1896 | 1902 | Northern Pacific Railway | |||
GN | 1883 | 1891 | St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway | |||
CNW | 1899 | 1899 | Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway | |||
Western Railroad of Minnesota | NP | 1874 | 1883 | St. Paul and Northern Pacific Railway | ||
Willmar and Sioux Falls Railway | GN | 1886 | 1907 | Great Northern Railway | ||
CB&Q | 1890 | 1985 | N/A | |||
CGW | 1856 | 1872 | ||||
CNW | 1870 | 1880 | Winona and St. Peter Railroad | |||
Winona and St. Peter Railroad | CNW | 1862 | 1900 | Chicago and North Western Railway | ||
CGW | 1872 | 1894 | ||||
CGW | 1894 | 1901 | Wisconsin, Minnesota and Pacific Railroad | |||
Wisconsin Central Company | CP | 1888 | 1899 | Wisconsin Central Railway | ||
Wisconsin Central Railroad | CP | 1954 | 1961 | Soo Line Railroad | ||
Wisconsin Central Railway | CP | 1897 | 1954 | Wisconsin Central Railroad | ||
Wisconsin, Minnesota and Pacific Railroad | CGW | 1894 | 1920 | Chicago Great Western Railroad | ||
CGW | 1883 | 1894 | Wisconsin, Minnesota and Pacific Railroad | |||
CNW | 1878 | 1879 |
- Electric
- Granite City Railway
- Lyndale Railway
- Mesaba Railway
- Minneapolis, Anoka and Cuyuna Range Railroad (MA&C, MACR)
- (MA&C)
- Minneapolis, Lyndale and Lake Calhoun Railway
- Minneapolis, Lyndale and Minnetonka Railway
- Twin City Rapid Transit Company
- Private
Notes[]
- ^ This is one or more of the Class I railroads that the railroad became part of, if any.
References[]
- Hilton, George W. (1990). American Narrow Gauge Railroads. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-2369-9.
Categories:
- Minnesota railroads
- Defunct Minnesota railroads
- Lists of railroads by US state
- Minnesota transportation-related lists