Northern Plains Railroad
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| Reporting mark | NPR |
|---|---|
| Locale | Northern North Dakota and Northwest Minnesota |
| Dates of operation | 1997– |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Headquarters | Fordville, North Dakota |
| Website | www |
The Northern Plains Railroad (reporting mark NPR) is a short line railroad that operates over 344 miles (552 kilometers) of track in the northern U.S. state of Minnesota and the northern U.S. state of North Dakota.
The railroad interchanges with the Canadian Pacific Railway in Kenmare, North Dakota and Thief River Falls, Minnesota; the Minnesota Northern Railroad in Thief River Falls, Minnesota; and the BNSF Railway in Ardoch, North Dakota.
The railroad has its headquarters in Fordville, North Dakota, where it operates its largest yard facility, and also has a field office located in Lansford, North Dakota, where it operates another large yard and roundhouse.
As of 2006, the Northern Plains Railroad employed 43 people and handled approximately 17,000 carloads per year. The primary commodities hauled included wheat, barley, durum, and soybeans.
The Northern Plains Railroad was formed in January 1997 after the Soo Line Railroad, under control as a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway, decided to lease 388 miles (624 kilometers) of branch line trackage in Minnesota and North Dakota.
The track originally leased to the railroad consisted of the 168 mile (270 kilometer) Devils Lake Subdivision between Thief River Falls, Minnesota, and Harlow, North Dakota, and the 217 mile (349 kilometer) Bisbee Subdivision between Fordville, North Dakota, and Kenmare, North Dakota. The two lines formed the Soo Line Railroad's so-called "wheatline" that served as a connection between its main line from Glenwood, Minnesota, to Noyes, Minnesota, (and on to Winnipeg, Manitoba, via the Canadian Pacific) and its main line from Glenwood, Minnesota, to Portal, North Dakota, (and on to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, via the Canadian Pacific).
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