Shortly after the Minnesota Northern Railroad acquired its track, it abandoned the dilapidated Fertile Subdivision and most of the spur from Tilden Junction to Red Lake Falls. In addition, it acquired approximately of trackage rights over the BNSF Railway near Erskine, Minnesota. Later abandonments would include the portion of the Ada Subdivision from Beltrami, Minnesota to Ada, Minnesota, the portion of the P Line Subdivision from Shelly, Minnesota to Perley, Minnesota, and the portion of the Warroad Subdivision from Roseau, Minnesota to Warroad, Minnesota. Prior to coming under the control of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, the of track initially purchased by the Minnesota Northern Railroad belonged to the Burlington Northern Railroad. Before being owned by the Burlington Northern Railroad, the P Line, Ada, and Warroad Subdivisions were owned by the Great Northern Railway. The Fertile Subdivision and spur from Tilden Junction to Red Lake Falls, meanwhile, had been owned by the Northern Pacific Railway. The portion of the Fertile Subdivision sold to the Minnesota Northern Railroad was once a part of the Northern Pacific Railway’s mainline from Hawley, Minnesota to Winnipeg, Manitoba. Though the line was an important route for passenger and freight trains to and from Winnipeg in its heyday, currently only a few portions have been spared from abandonment. A segment of the abandoned grade between Crookston, Minnesota in the north and Ulen, Minnesota in the south has been converted to a multi-use trail known as the Agassiz Recreational Trail Ownership of the Minnesota Northern Railroad was turned over from RailAmerica to KBN Incorporated and Independent Locomotive Service in 2001. Both companies are based in Minnesota and also co-own two other short line railroads: the St. Croix Valley Railroad in eastern Minnesota and the Dakota Northern Railroad in eastern North Dakota.
Locomotive and Freight Car Fleet
Minnesota Northern Railroad co-owner Independent Locomotive Service supplies the railroad with a fleet of various locomotives, primarily rebuilt four-axle "general purpose" locomotives and switchers from EMD. The locomotives are sent from an Independent Locomotive Service shop in either Bethel, Minnesota or Holt, Minnesota. The majority of the Minnesota Northern Railroad’s locomotives contain maroon paint with gold lettering. The colors are reminiscent of the school colors used at the University of Minnesota. Besides possessing locomotives, the Minnesota Northern Railroad also leases 80 covered hoppers. All other freight cars used on the railroad are supplied by both the BNSF and Canadian Pacific railways.
Stations on the Minnesota Northern Railroad
The Minnesota Northern Railroad owns track that goes through the following communities:
