Railroad partnership to move mineral used by mines

KALISPELL (AP) — Mission Mountain Railroad and the BNSF Railway are going to work together to move gondolas full of a mineral used by mines to Fortine, Montana.

The companies are looking for new customers from other countries as well as people living miles away from the tracks.

Most of Mission Mountain’s freight business comes from a lumber producer.

Railroad owner Watco Companies wants to diversify the freight traffic as the state’s timber industry shrinks.

Transporting magnetite via Fortine is more direct than the previous route, BNSF official David Walker said.

“We think this is a good alternative to the traditional ways of moving products over the border,” Walker said. “Customers want options for how they ship commodities, and this is a great option for those shipping to Canada.”

The Mission Mountain Railroad was created after BNSF passed along a line to Kalispell and another to Eureka.

“Our traditional model on the Mission Mountain has been to serve local customers that are physically located along the railroad in Kalispell, Evergreen, Columbia Falls and Eureka,” said Ted Kadau, vice president of marketing and sales for Watco Companies, the company that owns the railroad. “But we’re now looking for ways to expand our business and diversify beyond our traditional commodities.”