News Releases for March 2006
March 10, 2006
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Hoeven: State Forging Unified Rail Strategy To Accommodate Growing Industries
ND Rail Freight Service Area 
(270kb pdf)
FARGO, N.D. – Gov. John Hoeven today announced that the state is forging a unified rail freight strategy to serve North Dakota’s growing commercial transportation needs. Hoeven was in Fargo today to announce an upcoming trade mission to Southeast Asia.
The North Dakota Department of Transportation has developed a draft plan that provides for a coordinated state rail transportation strategy to help North Dakota’s agricultural producers, processors, manufacturers and other industries move products to world markets. Fargo/Dilworth, Minot and Bismarck are moving forward, and the state will coordinate with them and all communities.
“Red River Valley shippers have access to intermodal shipping through the Fargo/Dilworth facility,” Hoeven said. “To improve pricing and service for shippers using that location, we need to increase volumes, which can be done by co-loading intermodal trains with the planned intermodal facility in Minot.”
The announcement came after a series of meeting between Hoeven, Executive Director of the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments Bob Bright, on behalf of Fargo Mayor Bruce Furness; Mayor Curt Zimbleman of Minot; Mayor John Warford of Bismarck; Department of Transportation Director Dave Sprynczynatyk; and representatives of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.
“Building a comprehensive, statewide rail freight system is an important step in continuing the growth of our economy,” Hoeven said. “North Dakota leads the nation in producing 15 agricultural commodities, and our manufacturing sector is growing. As existing businesses expand, and new businesses start, we need an efficient and comprehensive rail freight system to get those products to world markets.”
Minot and Fargo/Dilworth are pursuing an intermodal coload system linking the communities and the Red River Valley, which would serve the requirements of shippers, individual communities, railroads and steamship lines. Bismarck’s Northern Plains Commerce Centre (NPCC) is currently focusing on a transloading facility with intermodal capabilities.
With the development of the rail freight strategy, the state Department of Transportation will continue to improve the state’s highway system to compliment the rail system, according to Hoeven. The strategy combines two types of rail freight movements, transload and intermodal, to provide statewide coverage. A transloading facility can combine several ways of shipping, including boxcars, flatbeds and closed containers. Intermodal facilities transport closed containers. The goal is to provide efficient and effective multi-modal transportation, which will cover the entire state and western Minnesota.
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