Thirty-seven years ago, Montana businessman Dennis Washington entered into a 60-year lease with Burlington Northern for nearly 1,000 miles of ex-Northern Pacific Railway trackage and launched the Montana Rail Link.
The newly created Class II regional stretched from Spokane, Wash., across southern Montana to Huntley, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it community not far from Billings, Mont. The railroad connected with BN at both ends, as well as at Garrison, Mont., midway between.
The wisdom of Dennis Washington’s investment was soon apparent. The MRL thrived, to the point that BN successor BNSF took note and worked out an agreement for an early termination of the lease. On Jan. 1, 2024, Montana Rail Link became a BNSF subdivision.
In planning this 84-page special publication saluting the fascinating Montana Rail Link, we decided the best way to tell the story is to let it unfold through articles that originally appeared in Trains Magazine over the years. It’s on-the-spot reporting as it happened from some of the best authors in the industry. Spectacular photography and clear maps accompany their reporting and together they depict a remarkable railroad amid the dramatic scenery of the American West.
