The Facts

In pursuing their rail-construction projects, the Canadian Pacific Railway and Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DM&E) have ignored the needs of citizens and communities from Wyoming ranch country to the Mississippi River. America needs a rail network that can quickly move large volumes of freight, but rail development must proceed intelligently and fairly to ensure that trackside communities and individuals are protected.

Frequently immersed in controversy because of its worst-in-class safety record, political maneuvering and manipulative tactics, DM&E has big plans and, if the Canadian Pacific Railway's purchase of DM&E receives government approval, could soon have the resources to finance them:
 

1. Transform the existing main line into a high-speed freight corridor

• Increasing train speeds to as much as 60 mph - or 88 feet per second - from Wall, S.D., to Minnesota City, near Winona, Minn.
• Increasing the number of daily through trains as Canadian Pacific maximizes traffic to pay off the investment.
• Introducing unspecified volumes of poisonous, flammable, explosive and other hazardous materials.  

2. Expand to reach coal mines in Wyoming's Power River Basin

• Up to 43 additional coal trains a day - 15,695 per year - to and from power plants.
• Coal dust from open-hopper coal cars.
• More diesel locomotive exhaust fumes, train noise, vibration, traffic delays and risk of train accidents, including a hazardous-material catastrophe. 
   

Train Traffic
Depending on the community, DM&E operates one to five regularly scheduled through trains daily plus seasonal trains. If the Surface Transportation Board (STB) approves the acquisition of DM&E by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), up to 50 freight trains a day could be speeding through communities on the DM&E tracks.

Issues
In a growing number of communities along the DM&E line and proposed extension, people with shared concerns have formed groups to champion a variety of issues. Foremost are:

• Public Safety.
• Quality of Life.
• Property Rights.
• Environmental Protection.

Canadian Pacific
DM&E was unable to finance the proposed coal expansion on its own, so investors sold the company to Canadian Pacific Railway in October 2007. The federal Surface Transportation Board (HYPERLINK to STB APPROVAL) is scheduled to decide on regulatory approval of the deal by the end of September. Although Canadian Pacific has a good reputation, it’s unclear whether the sale will bring improvement because the new owners plan to retain DM&E’s management.

Contradictions
Mixed messages are a common theme with the railroads. The proposed coal expansion is at the center of two major contradictions:

1. Coal Plans: Yes or Maybe. Canadian Pacific says it won’t make a decision on whether to proceed with the coal extension until after receiving regulatory approval. Meanwhile, DM&E says construction will begin this year and is suing landowners to take property for the route. Who do you believe?
2. Do Farmers Need Coal? DM&E has long claimed that it needs profits from the coal project to be able to rebuild the existing main line serving South Dakota and Minnesota agriculture. But in recent years the company began replacing track after discovering low-interest federal loans and cashing in on the growing ethanol industry. Now that Canadian Pacific promises additional infrastructure investment, the main line will soon become a high-speed freight corridor. Isn’t that what farmers need?